Captains and Dragons
by Silea
Summary: Not even in her wildest dreams Rachel ever imagined how much being the captain of a club with three Cheerios in it would change her life. Faberry, side Brittana.
1. Chapter 1

**So this will be lighthearted story. Seeing just what is happening on the show to Quinn (alright, I get it, it's fun to torment her a bit, but really there is a limit…) I needed a change of pace. So there'll be no angst in here and very little drama (because really, romance without a bit of drama is boring).**

**Warning! There'll be happy Quinn in this.** **Seriously, t****he pregnancy never happened, she was the Cheerio's captain all along. Her life didn't fall apart and she is friends with Santana and Brittany... aside from that the rest follows pretty much canon**

**Summary: Not** **even in her wildest dreams Rachel ever imagined how much being the captain of a club with three Cheerios in it would change her life. ****Faberry, side Brittana.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own glee**

**Captains and Dragons**

**Chapter 1**

Not even in her wildest dreams Rachel ever imagined how much being the captain of a club with three Cheerios in it would change her life.

At first Rachel hadn't even understood what was happening. She had been just shocked but grateful. A little bit suspicious too.

_It had been just before Regionals. Rachel had been walking to her locker with a slight smile on her lips. It was a good day, even with all Jesse St. James had done. She wasn't exactly happy, but she was getting there._

"_Hey loser!"_

_The words made her freeze and her stomach drop. Rachel just closed her eyes waiting for her slushy shower. She had been almost happy this morning, it was obvious it couldn't last._

"_What the hell!"_

_Cautiously Rachel opened an eye to see exactly what was the reason of the reprieve. Generally speaking jocks didn't wait around before throwing slushies._

_What she saw stunned her. The jock who had been about to slush her was standing in front of her covered by what seemed mint slush, if the green was any indication, his own blue-berry slushy spilled on the floor at his feet. Quinn Fabray was at her side, and by the looks of thing, she had been the one to throw the mint slushy to the jock._

_Without waiting for the hockey player to clean his eyes, and Rachel's knew from firsthand experience just how slushy could sting, Quinn shot him a question in her best no-nonsense tone. "Who am I?"_

"_Quinn Fabray, Cheerios' Captain." The jock automatically answered, trying to understand just why he had been slushied. He quickly recalled the school's rules to find out which one he had broken but he came empty._

"_And Glee Club member." Quinn added and the jock nodded, still not understanding. But when Quinn Fabray told you something you listened. The blonde didn't like to repeat herself. And generally speaking the ones who made her repeat herself didn't like it too. Bad things happened to them. "Who is she?" The blonde asked pointing to the smaller girl at her side._

_Quinn's death glare made him avoid the word loser and desperately trying to remember the name of one his favorite slushy target. "Berry?" He tried, hopeful. After all there had been a reason he had always used blue-berry flavor when he slushied her._

"_Good enough." Quinn said nodding slightly. "And she is what?" This time the glare made the answer clear for him._

"_A Glee Club member?" He said already cursing his bad luck. There was a rule that said: _You don't slushy Cheerios' teammates_. Luckily Cheerios rarely joined other clubs._

"_Almost." There was a pause before Quinn spoke again looking straight at him, with cold, hard hazel eyes. "She is Glee Club's captain."_

"_Shit." Jack gulped. He was doomed now. Because the first rule recited: _you don't touch Cheerios' captains_. And he had been about to slush the captain of the cheerios' captain._

"_Shit alright, genius." Quinn smirked maliciously. Jack already knew he was in for a beat up courtesy of one of the guys on the football team if he was lucky. Of Santana if he wasn't._

"_I didn't know Fabray, really…" Even if not knowing hadn't ever been reason enough to Quinn to forgive someone, he tried all the same. "I'm sorry…" He said to Rachel. Jack saw Quinn nod approvingly at his apology._

"_Well now you know." Quinn said it blandly. The lack of anger was enough to tell Jack it would be only a football player who would beat him up. "And you'll behave from now on, won't you?"_

"_Of course." He nodded once again before high tailing out of there. He had to warn the rest of the hockey team. Some of the other guys had been planning a multiple slushy attack on Berry to follow his own._

"_You alright?" Quinn asked turning for the first time to face Rachel, who simply stood there shocked._

"_Yes." The brunette stammered out, not sure of what had just happened. Just grateful that for once she wasn't the one covered in slushy._

"_Good." And with that Quinn nodded and turned leaving Rachel in the middle of the hallway, too stunned to say anything else._

Then, when Rachel had begun to notice a pattern of rescues and how suddenly nobody bothered Glee kids anymore, even after they had lost at Regionals, she had asked explanations to the wrong person.

"_Brittany?" Rachel asked, biting her lips a bit nervous to ask about this topic. She feared Quinn's protection would suddenly disappear if questioned. But she was so curious._

"_Yes, Rachel?" It was still strange to be called by her first name by anyone who wasn't a loser like her. To be honest she had noticed this same trend in practically everyone at school. And it had started as soon as Quinn had stopped that slushy. It was strange, but nice._

"_Why does Quinn protect me?" It didn't really make sense to the brunette. After all she was dating Quinn's ex-boyfriend and didn't that automatically mean the blonde should hate her?_

_Brittany had just shrugged and looked at her like it should have been obvious. "She is your Dragon."_

After that Rachel hadn't asked anymore explanations even if she still didn't understand. She just enjoyed Quinn's protection while waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Then Quinn, Santana and Brittany begun to openly support her in Glee Club. If Rachel had an idea the three Cheerios would agree to it. Or if they didn't they would take her aside and spoke to her about it. When Santana had asked to speak to her aside the first time Rachel had been scared the Latina wanted to beat her up out of sight. But Rachel had shot a look at Quinn and the girl had been perfectly fine with the idea. Rachel had decided to not ask herself when she begun to trust Quinn to protect her.

"_We need to talk Streisand." Santana said suddenly, looking angrily at Finn who had just stepped on Brittany's foot. Again._

"_Sure?" Rachel answered not really sure at all. The Latina looked ready to kill someone and Rachel really didn't want to end up as that someone. More so since she wasn't the one who had almost crushed Brittany foot._

"_Not here." Santana said. "Let's step out."_

_And even if Santana hadn't as much as insulted her in weeks Rachel was suddenly scared. Santana didn't ask, tell really, someone to "step out" unless she didn't want to beat them up. It was her modus operandi._

_Panicking, Rachel searched for Quinn, hoping that the head cheerleader would be there to save her from Santana. And thankfully Quinn was there, looking straight at them, obviously paying attention. It wasn't all that surprising, Rachel had noticed that lately the blonde wasn't ever very far from her. The puzzling thing was that Quinn didn't seem at all alarmed by Santana request to "speak" to her._

_Glancing at the blonde once more to be sure that the blonde wasn't even slightly worried by Santana request, Rachel found herself nodding to the Latina and following her out of the choir room._

"_Listen, I don't think the choreography you're talking about will work." The fact that Santana really spoke to her once when they were in the hallway left Rachel practically gaping for the shock. The Latina took the smaller girl's silence as an encouragement to go on. "Finn isn't anywhere ready to do something like that..."_

"_You mean all you wanted to do was tell me that you don't agree with my idea?" Rachel asked just to be sure, when she was able to talk._

"_Well yeah, I don't think you're wrong, I just think it can be better." Santana explained with a shrug puzzled by Rachel's reaction._

_Relaxing completely Rachel just smiled at the brunette. "Well, then tell me how you would do it and we'll see ok?"_

"_Perfect." Santana smiled back, looking pleased._

The next thing Rachel noticed was how, when she asked to do something at the other glee kids and they didn't seem to want to do it, Quinn would glare at them, sometimes with Santana's help, until they did what was asked. It sure made Glee practice much more efficient and enjoyable for Rachel.

"_Alright, from the beginning." Rachel called out, still not satisfied of how the song was turning out._

"_Stop, please. I'm exhausted." Mercedes moaned pitifully, sitting down in the nearest chair and tiredly wiping the sweat from her brow._

"_Come on, Rachel!" Artie said, whining a little. "It's almost an hour we are practicing!"_

"_You heard Rachel." Quinn ground out, somehow without even having to raise her voice. "From the top. Now!"_

_There was a little grumbling but Quinn's glare was enough to make everyone shuffle to their starting positions. Rachel simply beamed at her._

Sophomore year ended without a single slushy throw at her since Quinn's intervention, with people calling her by surname, just like they did with Quinn, or using the nickname of Streisand. All the others hurtful nicknames were just gone, as were the injurious writings on bathrooms' walls and on her MySpace page.

An if her social life was going better, her school one was going better yet. Everyone in Glee club followed her lead and even if they had lost Regionals everyone just seemed more motivated to win next year.

Rachel was happier she had ever been even if she was full of questions on just why it all had happened.

It was at the beginning of junior year, when Quinn's protection didn't stop as she had feared, that Rachel questioned Santana about it. She still wasn't comfortable enough to just go and ask Quinn. She was scare the blonde would be offended by the questions and would stop the protection and the help. Asking Brittany hadn't really solved anything. That left Santana.

"_Santana?" _

"_Streisand." Santana acknowledged. Now that she wasn't scared out of her mind anymore of Santana Rachel had understood that half the time the Latina looked like she was about to murder someone didn't mean anything. Santana was just a very, very, intense person. Generally speaking if you didn't hurt Brittany Santana didn't hurt you. She talked on code too. She told you _bitch_ and it meant _friend_. She told _I want to kill you_ that translated was _I like you afterall_._

"_I meant to ask you something…" Santana only nodded, waiting almost patiently for Rachel to find the words. "Why are Quinn and you protecting and helping me? I mean, not that I'm not grateful, I'm, really, it's just that I want to understand. I even asked Brittany but I didn't really get her answer. She talked about Dragons?" Rachel said shrugging her shoulders hoping that Santana would at least explain just what a Dragon was. She had spent hours trying to understand what the blonde meant without any success whatsoever._

"_You don't know?" Santana seemed honestly surprised._

"_No?" Rachel asked more than said, breathing in relief that the Latina was taking this so well._

"_Nobody told you about Captains and Dragons?" Rachel shook her head, completely lost and beginning to feel a little like an idiot too. _"Well, if Finn feels like this every day, it's no wonder he is always so gloomy." _she realized.__ "No wonder you were so slow on the uptake." The matter of fact tone Santana's used was enough for Rachel to know the Latina wasn't insulting her. Really it had been months since Santana had insulted her and meant it. She still bitched but Rachel had understood early on that Santana was just a bitchy person. "Or why you never speak with Q. She was beginning to think didn't approve of her as an enforcer."_

"_What?" Rachel didn't know three things know: what a dragon was, what an enforcer was and just why Quinn thought she hadn't her approval. _"Quinn wants my approval?" _Maybe talking to Santana hadn't been that great of an idea, she was more confused than before._

"_Calm down, Streisand. I'll explain." Rachel nodded grateful. _"Maybe I'll even get this explanation." _She crossed her fingers. "It works like this. Every Cheerios' captain has an enforcer, a Dragon, in Brittany's words." Santana smiled softly. Rachel had noticed it happened a lot when the Latina talked about or to Brittany. "An enforcer is someone who gets things done once the captain decides what to do and keeps the others in the squad in line. I'm Q's enforcer on Cheerios. Her right hand."_

"_And Brittany calls an enforcer Dragon because?"_

"_It's a TV trope thing, don't worry." Rachel just nodded not really understanding._

"_Ok, I get it." Rachel confirmed. "So… Quinn is my …enforcer?" She asked not really __sure if Cheerios organization translated exactly in Glee Club._

"_Exactly." Santana nodded glad that Rachel was getting it. _

"_Just like that?" It seemed really too simple to Rachel._

"_Well no." Santana admitted leaning back in her chair. It had taken much more time to explain it to the others gleek. Football players aside, they had looked at them like they were completely crazy. Kurt and Mercedes hadn't liked it one bit but after their stint in the Cheerios they had known enough to shout their mouths when Quinn had declared she was the Rachel's new right hand. "The enforcer is the second most important person in the team." Rachel nodded, everyone at school knew Santana was Quinn's second in command. "Sometimes it takes a bit of time to decide exactly who is enforcer material." Santana frowned recalling the senior who had been stupid enough to think she would be Quinn's enforcer. She had to show the wannabe just who was thought enough to be the right hand of the first freshman who ever made captain. "Often enforcers become captains if the captain isn't there or if the captain isn't capable. Q did that in freshman year. The old Cheerios captain was good but not Q good, you know?" The Latina said trying to explain something that, after three years as a Cheerios, was an everyday thing to her._

"_And Quinn didn't step in as Glee captain because?" Rachel knew she didn't hold a candle in leadership ability compared to Quinn._

"_Because of Sectionals, Streisand." At Rachel's frown Santana explained some more. "That day you showed you were _thecaptain_. You got there, created a set list ex novo, sang an incredible solo. I mean, you lead us to victory, didn't you?" Rachel nodded a bit unsure. She hadn't ever thought in those terms. "To Q that was proof enough you were a capable captain and she didn't need to step in the role."_

_Having Quinn's blessing made Rachel flush with happiness. But things still didn't add up. "You told the enforcer is the second most important person in the team. Shouldn't it have been Finn since he is co-captain?" Rachel asked even if she couldn't quite see him doing what Quinn had been doing for her all last year. He sure as hell hadn't ever been able to protect her as his girlfriend._

"_Right, Finn should have been your enforcer. He was." The Latina confirmed with a frown. Apparently she really didn't like Finn. "At least until Q stepped in when he showed just how incompetent he truly was. I mean he let you be egged by St James!" Santana really seemed outraged. "No decent right hand would let anyone get away with doing that to his or her captain! So Q talked to him." The Latina's smirk made Rachel doubt that all Quinn had done was talking to him. "And then she stepped up as your enforcer."_

That was how Rachel finally found out of Captains and Dragons. And that Quinn would be there to protect and help her. What she didn't know what that all this was only the beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

**First, thanks for the numerous reviews. **

**I'm not totally satisfied on how this chapter turned out, but apparently I'm not in the mood to write the witty dialogues that it needs and I doubt that staring at it anymore will help…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

**Chapter 2**

_Captain and Dragon form an united front. Always._

The little figure perched in the top most bleacher was still there. Santana had noticed their onlooker at the start of the practice and she couldn't have helped the satisfied smirk from forming on her lips when she had recognized who it was. Apparently if you gave her clue Berry caught up pretty fast.

"Streisand didn't know." Santana said apparently out of the blue once she fell in step with her captain. It was at times like this that she envied the blonde's longer legs.

"What are you talking about, S?" Quinn asked, a little out of breath. She had lost count of the laps they had done but since her legs didn't feel like jelly yet she knew the running was far from over. On Friday Coach Sylvester always made them run until at least one of them couldn't keep up anymore. The punishment for that was a week of strengthening training under Sue's direct supervision. Quinn was proud of the fact she had never been the one to fall back.

"Yesterday Rachel come to me to ask why you were behaving like you have since Regionals."

"What?" Quinn had been clear with the boy when she had replaced him as enforcer it would be up to him to explain to Rachel just why he was renouncing to be co-captain. "You mean to tell me Finn didn't tell her anything?"

"He didn't." Santana confirmed. "Rachel still thinks he is the co-captain, too."

"I'll kill him." Quinn growled out unconsciously running a bit faster.

Santana cursed having to lengthen her own steps even more to not be left behind. "You can't. Just like I couldn't last year." She informed her captain with a smug smirk. Let Quinn have a taste of how it felt for her last year. It had been really frustrating seeing her captain going around with the big lump. When they had started dating Quinn had become really moody and unhappy. Brittany had a theory that Finn was a kind of vampire who fed on the joy and energy of his girlfriends. The sad thing was that Santana couldn't even say that Brittany was wrong. She could attest that being with Finn, both biblically and not, didn't help to better your mood, at all. She only thanked heaven that she was much too wasted at the time to remember the details. "After all Rachel is with him."

"Fuck." Quinn cursed knowing the boy couldn't be touched because he was the captain's boyfriend. But she wasn't one to give up at the first hardship. "I'll kill him when she dumps his sorry ass then." Quinn said so determinately Santana could only laugh. Finn was done for. It was high time too. She had never liked him, he was just too tall and too fucking clueless. And Brittany didn't like guys who hurt defenseless chairs. And after what he had done to her captain, both of them really if you counted Rachel, she really hated him.

"So is she okay with me being her enforcer?" Quinn asked rounding another corner of the field.

Santana smiled. This was exactly the question she was waiting for. "Well, she is sitting in the bleachers right now." She remarked blandly only to have to catch Quinn by her shirt when the blonde almost tripped on her own feet. "Calm down, Q." She whispered hoping that Sylvester hadn't seen the almost dive.

"Q!" The bullhorn shout made clear it wasn't so. "I didn't see you almost trip didn't I?"

"No Coach." Quinn shouted back, cursing her bad luck.

"Then show me I'm wrong!" Sue ordered from the sidelines. "For you the next lap is a sprint!"

"Yes Coach." Quinn answered trying to not groan.

"Sorry Q." Santana whispered when they rounded the next corner. She hadn't wanted to get her friend into trouble, but she found Quinn not so hidden fascination with Rachel very amusing.

"Don't worry about it and thanks for the catch." Quinn said beginning her sprint lap. She only hoped it wouldn't tire her too much. She really didn't want her first time as the last in the group to be the day Rachel showed up to practice.

"Always Q." Santana called out, before turning to look at how the rest of the squad was faring. "Amanda! Keep up!" She shouted to the little redhead who was falling back. She waited for Amanda to lengthen her stride and close the gap between her and the group before turning to lead the squad until Quinn didn't come back.

xxx

This morning had been enlightening.

Rachel was really glad she had thought of studying Quinn's and Santana's interaction to understand a bit more how things should be between a captain and their right hand. After all the captain/enforcer relationship she was apparently involved with Quinn come out from a Cheerios' tradition, so there wasn't a better place to get information about it. Rachel had understood many things watching Cheerios practice today. By the end of it she had took almost four pages of notes on how Quinn and Santana interacted. She had found out that they worked really well together, almost instinctively knowing what the other was doing, trusting the other to do her part.

Rachel had decided she wanted that level of trust and understanding with Quinn. So she had sat down at lunch, revised her notes and made a power point plan on how to achieve it.

Rule one: "_Captain and Dragon form an united front. Always"_, was the reason Rachel paused just out of the choir room biting her lip nervously.

She already knew what she would see once in the room. Quinn would be in her usual seat a couple of tiers up next to Santana's. After all the two, three really counting Brittany, had set together since the first lesson even when they had been obviously fighting. It only showed how serious the first rule was.

Usually Rachel would go sit in the first row next to Finn, after all he was her male lead and her boyfriend. They being close made sense but it wasn't required.

But the first thing Rachel had noticed at practice was that the captains and their second sat together every time the squad took a breather or when they were listening to Sylvester's instructions. They had done from the beginning of practice to the end. Or stood next to each other. Every time Sue had called the Cheerios to form up before her Quinn and Santana stood side by side at the right end of the first row. Or run paired up. For all the forty minutes they run, but for the lap when Quinn sprinted, they had been the leading pair of the group.

In short Quinn and Santana were never far.

So Rachel took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, walked in the choir room and went to sit next to Quinn on the second tier, desperately trying to hide her nervousness.

The brunette almost passed out from relief when Quinn smiled at her and nodded to acknowledge her presence.

"Hey Rachel." Quinn greeted softly, evidently pleased by Rachel's choice of seat. Next to her Santana and Brittany nodded their acknowledgement too.

"Hello Quinn." Rachel replied reassured by the warm welcome. Maybe this whole captain/enforcer thing between them would really work out. "I wanted to thank you for the excellent work you have done and are doing as my second." She had noticed how Quinn always took the time to thank Santana. "Your support is much appreciated and I'm very happy about it."

"I'm glad." Quinn said simply with that soft smile that always made Rachel wanting to smile back.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about Mr Shue's ideas on recruiting new members."

"Sure. What do you want to do?" Quinn asked.

Rachel smiled at being asked that without a trace of condescension but only with honest curiosity. It was the first time it ever happened to her. "Well, I thought we should do…"

"Rachel?" Finn's voice distracted her from her conversation with Quinn.

Turning to look at her boyfriend Rachel smiled. "Hey Finn."

"What are you doing up there?" He asked, standing before their usual seats.

"Sitting?" Rachel replied not understanding why he sounded almost annoyed. The brunette glanced at her right when she heard a snicker only to see the three Cheerios perfectly composed. Rachel was about to ask about the snicker when her boyfriend spoke again, distracting her.

"You sit in the first row." Finn said frowning, pointing to her usual chair.

"And today I sit here." Rachel said shrugging like it wasn't a big matter. She really didn't understand why he was making a problem out of it. "Come on." She invited patting the seat next to her, hoping to placate him.

Grumbling under his voice Finn plopped down on the chair at Rachel's right, studiously ignoring the unholy trinity at the other side. Since last year they didn't really talk anymore. Quinn and him hadn't really talked since she had dumped him after having found out of his fake date with Rachel. Santana had always more sneered at him than talked, but after their one night stand she hadn't even done that. And Brittany hadn't ever tried to talk at him at all. The one time he had asked her out she had told him she didn't date vampires so she would never go out with him even if he was puppy cute. He still didn't understand that one.

"How was your day?" Rachel asked turning to face him. Using this opportunity Quinn leaned forward, glared at Finn and mouthed _"You're dead."_

The boy gulped, paling visibly at the threat. Santana, who had seen the entire exchange, laughed loudly at Finn's expression.

When Rachel turned her head to see what was happening Quinn had on the most innocent face ever seen, complete with soft, harmless smile, completely ignoring the fact that next to her Santana was practically doubled over laughing.

"Something funny Santana?" The smaller brunette asked.

"Nothing at all Streisand." Santana said lying to her face trying to calm down. She doubted Berry would find cute Quinn threatening her boyfriend's life even if it made her day.

Rachel nodded not convinced.

"So about what we were saying before." Quinn spoke up efficiently distracting Rachel from inquiring about Santana's laughter.

The Latina watched the diva smile her really too bright smile and launch in a long, boring monologue on exactly how recruit new members would be perfect with Quinn nodding along looking interested. Finn just sat there, his jaw dropped, watching his girlfriend completely disregard him to talk to his ex-girlfriend about frigging recruiting system instead of hearing about his day.

"_Things are going to be fun,"_ Santana thought with a smirk. _"Now, if only Streisand would catch a clue."_

xxx

Rachel sat in her usual place, almost at the top tier of the bleachers, sipping coffee and buttoning up her jacket. The mornings weren't chilly yet but they weren't warm either and it got cold if one didn't move for some time. And Cheerios' practice lasted more than long enough to get cold.

She waved to Quinn, who was the first in the field as always, and nodded at Santana when the Latina joined the blonde. Both of them greeted her back with nods before turning to talk to each other waiting for the other Cheerios to show up. Rachel knew they were talking about how to plan the work out and exactly what routines to try, like they did it at every practice. It was the same thing Quinn and she had began talking about before Glee rehearsals.

"Hey Rachel!"

Rachel let out a startled yelp before turning to see her boyfriend quickly running up the bleachers taking the steps two at time. "Oh, hello, Finn. You surprised me."

"It's nice of you to come here every day." The tall quarterback said with a smile drying a bit of sweat from his forehead once he got at her same tier. It was the third time in as many days that her girlfriend had come to see the football team practice so he had decide it was time to get up here and thank her. After all several of the other guys had been jealous he had a girlfriend who got up earlier only to see him play at practice. Finn had only smirked at the grumblings. He had always known that dating Rachel was smart.

"Well, it's the right thing to do." She said shrugging a bit, her eyes turning to watch how Quinn was handling a freshman who didn't seem able to do some sort of lift with any competence. The tall freshmen had been yelled at more than once during practice without much success. From what Rachel had seen the girl she helped to lift always ended up unbalanced, ruining the routine.

"Only the right thing?" He teased sitting next to her and putting his helmet down.

"Well, no," Rachel replied biting her lip, trying to understanding what Quinn was saying at the freshman from only her body language. The blonde captain seemed tense but not angry and the younger girl continued to nod at various intervals. Apparently yelling only worked for some problems. "I like it and I'm learning very much."

"Watching football?" Finn asked incredulous. Rachel had always said she didn't like the game nor she understood it. Finn had spent many afternoons trying to explain her the rules of the game and the various schemes fruitlessly. The girl was just hopeless. His greatest success had been making her understand how to read the score from the scoreboard.

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked turning to look at him with a puzzled expression.

"Me? What are _you_ talking about." He said. "I'm just surprised Rach. You always told me you would never understand football so to just stop to try to explain it to you."

"Why are you talking about football?" Rachel asked her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Because it's three days you come here to see football practice?"

"But I don't come here to watch football practice."

Finn smiled again, finally understanding why Rachel showed up day after day even if she didn't like football. "You come here just to see me." He said with a goofy smile.

"No, Finn." She corrected him with her usual tactlessness. "I come here to watch Quinn."

"What?"

"She is an excellent captain Finn and before that was excellent Dragon." Rachel explained slowly like it should have been obvious. "Of course I would come to learn how to handle a team from her."

Finn just sat there, speechless.

"Finn?" Rachel's voice snapped him out of it.

"Yeah?"

"Your coach is calling you." She informed in a matter of fact tone puzzled by his behavior. "And she seems rather angry too."

"Oh shit!" Finn jerked up hearing Coach Bestie was yelling at him, her volume steadily raising with each unanswered call.

"Get your ass down here Hudson before I make you ride the bench for the entire season!" The imposing woman was shouting loudly enough for the words to clearly reach the bleachers.

Rachel found her volume remarkable even if the tone could be improved.

Cursing again Finn grabbed his helmet and run to the field. Rachel shrugged at his strange behavior and turned her attention back at Cheerios' practice. Apparently Quinn had stayed back and with the help of Santana was teaching the freshman how to do the lift right. She frowned, maybe she should stop only criticizing the other Glee kids and begin to help them to do better. She was sure Quinn would stay back and help her if she decided to stay back to teach the others. Apparently teaching to other team members was another task Captains and right hands did together.

At the idea of spending more time with Quinn, Rachel smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews, the alerts and favorites. I'm really pleased you seem to like this story so much.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own glee.**

**Chapter 3**

_Your Dragon helps you_

xxx

A part of Rachel was relieved that Finn wasn't the quarterback anymore. She didn't like the idea of him injuring himself seriously. And a pettier part of her was scared that sooner or later he would leave her for cheerleader, or two, like he had done last year. After all the entire Cheerios squad could really well be double up as fashion models. But even if she was relieved by this turn of events she froze when she heard a someone shout her name in the hallway. Because she feared Finn's loss of popularity meant she would once again be slushied.

"Berry! Wait a moment." A jock who looked vaguely familiar stopped in front of her, grinning.

The first thing Rachel did was to check his hands to see if he was carrying a slushy. It was a conditioned response developed in freshman year and then sophomore year. "Yes?" She asked steeling herself for whatever was to come when she saw his hands were empty. Slushies were only one of the dangers a loser could run up against in McKinley High.

"I'm throwing a party at my house Friday." The tall boy, maybe even taller than Finn, said. Rachel was pretty sure he was part of the basketball team.

"Alright." She replied nodding, not understanding why he felt the need to inform her of this particular fact.

"So? Do you want to come?" He asked still smiling.

Rachel stood there for a moment too stunned to reply, trying to understand if it was a prank of some sort. She knew from direct experience that the more the pranks were elaborated the more they hurt. Jesse had taught her that at least. But the tall boy seemed sincere enough. Still Rachel was more an err on the side of caution person when it came to jocks. She was about to say no thanks when a soft voice cut in.

"I'll be there too, Rachel."

"Really?" The brunette asked, relieved to see Quinn walk up to her and stop at her side. The singer had found out earlier in the week that being near the head cheerleader made her feel safe. She liked it.

"Yes." The blonde confirmed smiling at Rachel. "You should come, Brian's parties are fun." The boy in front of them smiled at this endorsement, his grin almost splitting his face in half.

Rachel looked at Quinn for a last check before speaking, "Then sure. I'll gladly come to your party Brian."

"Cool." He said nodding. "I'll see you Friday girls." Brian added over his shoulder already calling out the name of another popular kid.

"Quinn wait!" Rachel said placing an hand on the blonde arm to stop her from walking away too.

"Yes Rachel?" She inquired waiting for Rachel to fell in step with her before start to walk again.

"Can I go with you to class?" The brunette asked, a bit shyly. They shared AP History but this was the first time she asked to walk with Quinn.

"I'd like that."

They walked for a bit in silence before Rachel spoke quietly, wonderingly, still not quite sure about what had just happened. "Did someone not in glee club just invited me at a party?" She asked looking for reassurance. "A popular kid?"

"He sure did." Seeing the uneasiness in Rachel's face, Quinn asked, "What's the matter?"

"There is really a party Friday night, right?" Rachel checked in a low voice, glancing around nervously. Nobody seemed to pay them any attention and Brian had long since vanished in the crowd.

"Naturally Rachel." Quinn replied beginning to frown at the brunette's strange behavior, slowing her steps and turning to face Rachel a bit more.

"And you'll be there?"

"Sure." Quinn reassured, moving closer to the brunette when she noticed that Rachel was biting her lips nervously. They had stopped walking in a not very crowed hallway. "Hey, what are you worried about?"

"This isn't a prank?" Rachel asked looking at the floor, hating to feel so insecure.

"What? No, absolutely not." Quinn quickly reassured, gently raising her chin until she could met Rachel's gaze. "Why do you even ask? Last year you come to several parties, this is just like those. We'll drink a bit, dance a lot and have fun."

"Nobody ever invited me, Quinn." Rachel admitted, shrugging, ashamed to having to acknowledge this fact. "They invited Finn and I just tagged along."

"Rachel they invited the both of you, they just told Finn because he was the quarterback." The blonde explained squeezing Rachel's arm in reassurance. "Now that you are the more popular of the two they'll invite you."

"I'm popular?" Rachel asked her eyes wide.

"Well, yes." Quinn confirmed.

"How come?"

"You're my Captain, Rachel. I thought you already knew this." Rachel nodded but Quinn could still see the uneasiness in the brown eyes. Knowing instinctively this wasn't a talk to have in a semi-crowded hallway she lead Rachel in an empty classroom.

"Why are you scared?" Quinn asked once she closed the door behind herself.

"I just…" Rachel shrugged. "Finn isn't the quarterback anymore… I don't know what it means to me, Quinn. A part of me is glad I don't have to worry about him injuring himself , but for all I know my daily slushy showers will start again. And I… I kinda liked to not have to always bring with me two changes of clothes… to not have to flush my eyes with water to clean the ice from them…"

"It won't happen. Nobody will slush you." Quinn said with a finality that made Rachel believe it and finally relax enough to smile. "You have nothing to worry about, ok? I'll take care of you, I promise."

It was then that the brunette flashed back to her last almost slushy shower. And what Quinn had said. And how it was after that clear warning that nobody else had even tried to step near her with a slushy in their hands. "Thanks for having stopped the slushies, Quinn." Because the lack of them hadn't ever been about Finn. Rachel was angry at herself for taking so much to really realize it.

"You are my Captain Rachel." Quinn shrugged, smiling. "And I protect my captains." But there was a serious sparkle in those hazel eye and Rachel couldn't help but notice it.

xxx

Finn flopped in the chair, weary. It was only lunch hour and all he wanted was for this day to just end, he was sick and tired of it.

"Are you alright?" Rachel inquired, worried at the exhausted and sad look on her boyfriend's face.

"Two of my ex-teammates tore up my letterman and threatened to beat me up." He said moodily beginning to eat. "I mean, Artie saved me."

"That was nice of him." Rachel remarked, spearing some of her salad.

"Yeah, nice…more like humiliating." Finn muttered.

"I'm sorry you had an hard day. You'll see, it'll get better." Rachel said patting his arm, trying hard to not look at the questionable mystery meat Finn was about to eat. The brunette was pretty sure meat should smell better than this and not look greenish.

"Thanks." He smiled a bit at his girlfriend shoving another forkful in his mouth. "What happened to you today?" He asked, thinking her day had gone at least as bad as his.

"Brian invited me to Friday's party." Rachel informed him beaming at this morning scene.

"What?" Finn practically shouted. Several heads turned to see what was happening. Among them there was Quinn's who narrowed her eyes at seeing her ex-boyfriend waving his fork animatedly.

"Yes, I was surprised about it too. He just came up to me and invited me, without even introducing himself. A most rude thing but he is a teenage boy..." She trailed off for a moment before going on. "I almost told him no, because I believed it was just a prank. But then Quinn told me it was all legit, so we have a party to go on Friday and she'll be there too. I'm excited."

"Nobody slushied you?" Finn asked incredulously, almost spewing the meat he had been chewing in his hast to speak.

"No." Rachel said slowly, grimacing at the disgusting scene, using an hand to protect her salad from any flying bits. "They should have?" She asked glancing around worried, a bit of paranoia rising her ugly head. "Quinn told me nobody would dare." Then she met said blonde gaze and simply smiled.

"Quinn?"

"There really is no need to shout Finn." Rachel rebuked him, turning to face him. "Everybody is looking at us."

Glancing around and seeing his girlfriend was right, everyone was looking at them, Finn lowered his voice before asking again. "Quinn?"

"Yes. She told me she would take care of me." Rachel informed him smiling, then frowned when Finn didn't smile back. "Why are you upset?"

"It's just that… really Quinn? You trust Quinn?" He asked skeptically.

"She made the slushy stop." Rachel shrugged. "Nobody slushied me since regionals last year. She did what you said you couldn't do. So why shouldn't I trust her?"

"Because she is a lying and manipulating bitch Rachel." Finn replied getting angry at the dig about is incapacity to protect her. He had always known he hadn't the clout to simply make the harassing end and it galled at him that Quinn had. "That's fucking why!"

"Finn, please refrain from speaking about my enforcer that way." Rachel said curtly, beginning to lose her patience with the boy.

"There are problems here?" A cool voice cut in before Finn could retort.

"I can't believe this." He muttered, looking incredulously at blonde standing protectively beside Rachel. He could even see Santana and Brittany in the background. Finn asked himself just when his whole world got so screwed up he didn't even recognize it. He was out of the football team, Rachel was suddenly so popular to be invited to Bryan Cheesor's parties, his girlfriend was defending her ex-girlfriend and the ex-girlfriend looked ready to do the same.

"No, don't worry Quinn." Rachel said looking up at the head cheerleader at her side.

"If you're sure Rachel." Quinn said at Rachel but looked straight at Finn a warning to tread lightly clear in the hazel eyes. She looked ready to tear off his arms and beat him with them if he upset Rachel. The boy swallowed once, uncomfortable under the steely gaze. Quinn had always intimidated him, even when they were dating.

"I'm sure, but thanks for checking." Rachel said, beaming a smile at the blonde.

"You're welcome." Quinn said before leaving with a last warning glance at Finn and a mouthed _"be careful…"_

xxx

"Oh Britt." Santana moaned in the kiss gently pushing the blonde on the bench behind her. Brittany laid back panting a bit, looking up with slightly glazed eyes at the brunette, drinking her in.

"You're fucking beautiful…" Santana said in awe before straddling the blonde and starting to kiss her neck and then her lips again. Brittany run her hands under the Latina shirt, caressing her, kissing her.

Soon enough they both were lost in each other, panting, kissing, caressing.

"Shh." Santana shushed Brittany when she heard the door open and steps in the locker room. She put two fingers on the blonde's lips effectively silencing her. Brittany nodded her understanding, trying to catch her breath without being noisy.

The Latina frowned, trying to figure out who had come in the Cheerios lockers. There shouldn't be anyone since today there wasn't practice and the coach was busy with the try outs and the list of would be cheerleaders was long enough to keep her busy all afternoon.

But the voice that boomed in the room was no doubt Sylvester's. Santana cursed. The coach wouldn't take well finding Brittany and her making out in her holy lockers room.

"I'll have to bleach my eyes to have any hope to erase Frankenteen's pathetic try out." Sue sounded angry and annoyed.

"Me too coach." Becky's voice agreed. Santana rolled her eyes at that. Sometimes she asked herself if Becky did anything but following Sue everywhere. The kid wasn't that bad, kind of a bitch maybe, but really, every single Cheerios was a bitch. Brittany aside. After all it was Sue that choose them.

"If he is the cream of the crop of the next male generation it'll be probably be less painful to just kill ourselves right now." A locker was opened and then slammed after something was thrown into it. "Even Aretha was better than him."

"Yeah coach."

"Well I have to go. Step two of _make Bestie life hell_ is about to start." The two cheerleaders heard Sue cackle and the door open again. "I'll torment her until she resigns and leaves with her tail tucked and then I'll have the money to get my cannons." The woman explained before she and Becky left the room.

Santana waited for another minute, just to be certain they had really left, before speaking. "Shit, they cut Cheerios budget." It was probably the worst thing that could happen, so she cursed some more in Spanish. She knew Sylvester had planned to buy those two new confetti cannons since last spring.

"Mierda, mierda, mierda."

Last year the Coach had spent hours tricking and intimidating the school board and the principal to get the money needed for them in Cheerios budget. The coach had practically an hard on for those cannons. And now they had told her she couldn't have them. They were neck deep in the shit.

"I'm scared San, I don't like when Coach has that tone." Brittany whispered around Santana's fingers still on her lips. "She gets mean."

Santana knew Brittany was right. The last time she had heard Sue sound like that it had been just before she had leaked the glee club set list. "I'm scared too baby." She admitted softly. "Come on now…" She said getting up and holding out an hand to help Brittany. "We have to go tell Q. She needs to know right now."

xxx

Walking up to Quinn's locker was still strange to Rachel. But at least it didn't scare anymore. That was progress.

"Hello, Quinn. I trust you are well this morning." She greeted brightly.

"I am." The blonde simply said, closing the locker after she had retrieved her books. They fell in step idly walking to their first class, AP English.

"I was wondering if I could ask your help with something of upmost importance?" Rachel asked nervously playing with the binder in her arms. "It's something pretty personal and I need someone whom I can trust to help me with it."

"Sure." Quinn agreed, pleased that Rachel had come to her with a personal problem. "What you need me to do?"

"I know that is gonna to sound strange, but I really need to be sure that Finn won't cheat on me with a cheerleader. After what happened last year with Santana and Brittany I really…" Rachel trailed off not really knowing what to say. "I'm sorry, I'm sure it's not appropriated to ask you this, more so because he his your ex-boyfriend and Santana is your enforcer and Brittany your friend but… you are my only friend, I mean the only one I can trust with it and…"

"Shh, Rachel." Quinn shushed her putting a finger on her lips, smiling at the brunette's babble. "Just ask. You're my Captain, ok? You can ask for my help."

Rachel nodded, staring into sweet hazel eyes. "Could you try to seduce Finn?"

Once Quinn overcame the shock at the request she did exactly what Rachel asked her to. She flirted with Finn, even if not with much conviction, but then again her heart wasn't in it, and was shot down.

And when Rachel and she talked about how it went, Quinn really couldn't explain why she felt upset when the brunette smiled at hearing that Finn really loved her, or why saying it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

**New chapter guys. Sorry for the wait but I needed a bit of time to figure out the epilogue of "not ready" and write the new chapters of both stories.**

**To clear things up: this will be eventually a Faberry story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee**

**Chapter 3**

_Sometimes your Dragon helps you, sometimes you help your Dragon_

xxx

Coach Sylvester was mad.

In just about any meaning of the word and sure it didn't take a genius to figure it out.

And lately she was more on the side of spitting mad angry than crazy mad. It was so easy to understand the difference since Sue wasn't exactly a subtle person when she was angry.

If she was mad at you, you knew. Coach Sylvester screaming in your face was pretty obvious and if for some reason you didn't get it on your own you got clued it when you found yourself throwing up after the nth lap. And you knew if she was mad at your Glee Club director and the cut on her budget. Weeks of double practice for the Cheerios made it pretty obvious. More so when the scheduled time overlapped with Glee rehearsals.

Really the only one who didn't get that Sue was really angry was Mr Shue. And that made Quinn angry, because the man had even had the nerve to tell to Santana, Brittany and she to be on time at rehearsals like it was their fault and not his that they were almost always late. Probably in his rose-colored glasses' world Sue sudden need to schedule the new practice time so that it overlapped with Glee was just a random thing.

To be honest what worried Quinn wasn't that Coach had got angry at Mr Shue's betrayal or the cut of the budget, what worried her was that she was still mad weeks after. But what really frightened Quinn was the sort of satisfied gleam Sue's eyes got today when they were talking about cannons in her office just before practice. The Coach had stopped in mid sentence and got a far-away look for just moment then she had smirked. Evilly.

And even if Quinn didn't know _how_ she knew they were screwed. Really screwed.

So even as the blonde dragged herself in the locker room after the second practice of the day, her mind was going a mile a minute trying to figure out exactly what the Couch angle was. At least until her eyes fell on Santana. And Brittany.

They were changing side by side but they weren't looking at each other, or talking.

Quinn frowned. Seeing her two best friends so out of sort made her forget about Coach Sylvester and her plans. This was much more important.

She had noticed the tension in Santana's frame as soon as she had stepped in the field this morning but when she had asked about it the Latina had told her everything was fine. Quinn hadn't believed her for a minute but had let it go since it wasn't nor the time nor the place to talk about it. And when Brittany had joined them it had been painful clear that the two of them had had a fight. A bad fight.

Quinn had never seen them so cold and tentative with each other. And it worried her.

She couldn't believe her eyes when Santana asked something to Brittany and all the blonde did was shake her head, grab her gym bag and leave the room.

There it was something seriously wrong with her friends. And she had every intention to help them through it.

xxx

Rachel knew she was selfish person. Really. She was an only daughter. And even if she had told Finn she wanted to throw the competition so to make the new kid feel welcome, that wasn't the truth. She had told him that only because Rachel knew he wouldn't go along with the plan if he knew really why she wanted to throw the completion. Because she didn't really care if the boy won the duet competition or not. She cared if Quinn did.

Because really it was high time that she did something nice for her Dragon. So far their relationship had been totally one sided. Quinn had protected her, supported her and helped whenever asked and Rachel didn't do anything for the blonde.

Quinn had even helped her with the Sunshine "incident".

"_Quinn!" _

_The blonde whipped her head at the frantic tone immediately zeroing on the small blur running down the hallway. "What happened?" She asked alarmed. Quinn knew Rachel didn't run nor did she scream for fear of damaging her vocal chords. Whatever it was it had to be a big thing._

_Quinn had to grab Rachel's shoulder to stop the brunette from crashing in the lockers as she skidded to a stop. "There is this girl Sunshine Corazon, she… she is a problem."_

"_She hurt you?" Quinn narrowed her eyes. If someone had hurt Rachel heads would roll, she had made her wishes clear. Rachel was under her protection. And nobody in McKinley got to break her rules._

"_No." Rachel said almost scared at Quinn's sudden intensity. She could practically feel the anger pouring off the blonde, it sent a shiver down her back. "But she has to reconsider joining glee club."_

"_She is that bad?" Quinn asked frowning at the brunette's request, trying to meet her gaze but the smaller girl kept looking at the floor. Like she was ashamed. "Rachel?" She asked softly, beginning to believe there was more behind this request and the almost panic Rachel was in. "Hey, look at me… whatever it is, it'll be alright."_

"_She is that good." Rachel said in a whisper before raising her head and looking pleadingly at Quinn, tears already gathering in her eyes."And if I'm not the best singer anymore, I'm not anything. I won't have a place in Glee Club anymore. And Glee is all I have."_

_Quinn looked at her for a long moment before taking Rachel's hand in hers and squeezing them gently her eyes softening even more at seeing the mind numbing fear in those brown orbs. "Brittany is a better tumbler than me."_

"_I don't see the relevance with the situation Quinn." After seeing the Cheerios practice for more than a week, and after a thorough research for info about cheerleading, Rachel knew enough to know that Quinn was talking about, still she didn't quite get why the blonde had just told her this._

"_Just because she is a better tumbler than me it doesn't mean I'm out of the squad Rachel or that she is the only tumbler. It means I get a partner to do complex choreographies with. Without Brittany I wouldn't get the chance to go full out." Quinn explained patiently. "It just means I have someone to train with and from which to learn to be better…"_

"_What are you saying?"_

"_I'm saying you don't need to be scared of this Sunshine." Quinn said softly, gently lacing her finger with Rachel's and squeezing them. "That she can be your Quinn to your awesome Brittany," She smiled at this. "…because I really doubt that she is better than you." This last part was told in such a matter of fact tone that Rachel couldn't help but believe it. And suddenly the idea of Sunshine in Glee wasn't so scary anymore._

"_I… thanks Quinn. Really." Rachel said trying to convey in word what she felt and knowing she could only fail. Because really how do you thank someone for believing in you as much as Quinn did in her._

"_Of course Rachel. Whenever you need me I'm here ok?" The blonde said simply, squeezing her hand on more time before letting it go._

"_I'll see you later?" Rachel asked suddenly needing to know for certain._

"_Of course." Quinn said winking at Rachel before leaving the room._

And today Rachel had realized this one-sidedness didn't sit well with her at all. It just wasn't right. She too wanted to make Quinn feel special like the blonde did for her.

And Rachel just knew how to do it.

Because even if she tried to not show it Rachel had seen more than once the longing in Quinn's eyes when the solos were assigned or when Mr Shue failed to praised her efforts in Glee Club. With hers not being the most powerful voice in the club she often got overlooked.

Yeah, Rachel just knew how to make Quinn feel special.

She would make her win the duets competition.

xxx

Hearing Brittany saying _hi_ to Artie with that tone made Quinn stop dead on her tracks. When she heard the taller blonde saying she was into him she turned on her heels and practically run up to them. "I have to speak to you B." Quinn said stepping neatly between them. "Now." She ground out when Brittany didn't start to move right away.

Brittany could see Quinn wouldn't take no she said goodbye to Artie throwing him a last, lascivious glance before following the other blonde.

"Don't drag Artie in this mess B." Quinn said once they were alone in an empty classroom.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Q." Brittany said choosing to look at a spot just over Quinn's shoulder instead that meeting her friend's eyes.

"I know Santana hurt you." Quinn said softly. "I know she has her head so far up her ass she doesn't even known up from down lately, but don't drag Artie in this. All you will get out of it is hurting him too."

"She told me I was just _something warm_ to make out with because Puck is in juvie, Quinn!" Brittany almost screamed. "She called me a _something warm_." Her voice sounded so sad that Quinn felt her heart break hearing it. "You know how much that hurt?"

"I can't even image it." Quinn admitted taking a step closer and hugging the taller blonde. "But you know she loves you even if she is scared out of her mind and says stupid, hurtful things. Just please give her another chance."

"I won't make it right this time Q." Brittany said, because she was tired to be always be the one to take the first step.

"And I don't ask you to." Quinn soothed. "But if she ask, only if she ask, and she apologize to you, just give her another chance. I look at the two of you and hope to find something like that in my life, you know? Because I envy what you have. Don't throw it all away, please."

"Of course I'll give her another chance, Q." Brittany said smiling a bit, knowing that Quinn really meant what she had just said. Knowing that the blonde had gone out of her comfort zone to tell her that, because Quinn _didn't do_ _love, _her own words. Brittany thought she just hadn't found it yet. "I love her too much to not do it."

xxx

"You threw the competition." Quinn said walking in Rachel's room.

"You should be at Breadstix." The brunette said, not really believing to her eyes. Quinn hadn't ever set foot in her home and now she was in her room. It didn't really compute in Rachel's mind.

"I gave the coupon to Sam." Quinn shrugged, like it didn't matter, taking a seat on the desk chair. She looked around the room, curious. It wasn't like she hadn't imagined it and at the same time it was exactly like she had always imagined it. The Broadway posters she had expected but the soft yellow of walls was a surprise. "I think he asked Sandy out to a date." She added with a satisfied smile.

"Sam and Sandy? Alliteration much?" Rachel said with a frown, sitting up on her bed.

"Yeah, I know, but it could be worse."

"Worse than that?" Rachel couldn't help but sound skeptical.

"He could date a Samantha." Quinn deadpanned, cracking a smile from Rachel. "Sandy likes him and I saw him check her out. So I set them up. Sam seemed to appreciate it." The boy had been so happy he hugged her when she had told him about it. It had lasted only for a moment before he released her like she was a scalding iron. When he had apologized to her blushing and stammering at his _forwardness_, Quinn had realized exactly how sweet Sam was. Sandy and him would make a great couple, she was sure of it. "But let's return to us. You threw the competition."

"I don't know what you're talking about Quinn." Rachel denied with a innocent look so perfect it was obvious it was totally fake.

"It wasn't a question Rachel." She said with a smirk.

"Well, you're mistaken." Rachel ground out crossing her arms. "I went all out to win as always."

Quinn could swear she could see the beginning of a pout on the brunette's lips. "Rachel you and Finn performed _With You I'm Born Again_ dressed as a priest and a schoolgirl." She didn't even use sarcasm to make that point. She didn't need it.

"It doesn't prove anything." The brunette repeated again, stubbornly.

"It proves one of two things: one you went completely mad, because it's sure as hell Finn isn't the one who chose your songs, or two you threw the competition." Quinn said completely ignoring Rachel's words. "What I don't know is why you did it."

"Maybe you're getting paranoid. I mean you even questioned my intentions when I talked to you in the bathroom to get you to compete."

"I questioned them because it didn't make sense for you to help out your competition. And Rachel, I know you lied to me in the bathroom. Second place? Really?" She scoffed. "I went along only to find out what you were planning."

"Maybe I wanted to do something nice." Rachel huffed.

"A welcome gift to Sam?" Quinn tried the most logical explanation, hoping she was wrong.

"That too." Rachel admitted blushing a little.

"And what else Rachel?" Quinn asked with a smile.

"I wanted you to win," She blushed some more. "for once I wanted you to win a sing competition. You never really get to sing in Glee."

Quinn stared at her for a long moment before speaking. "Nobody ever fixed the odds for me." Quinn said with a blinding smile. "Thanks Rach."

"Anything to make my Dragon happy." Rachel beamed back.

They stood like that, smiling at each other for a long time before the brunette broke the silence, "Have you ever seen Funny Girl?"

"No." Quinn admitted, by now used to Rachel's seemingly non-sequiturs in a talk.

"I can't believe it." Rachel exclaimed mock horrified. "There isn't like a rule about having to see your captain's favorite movie?"

"Well there are many rules." Quinn said playing along.

"Then it's decided." Rachel said smiling. "You'll see Funny Girl tonight. Hop on the bed, I have it right on my computer."

"Of course Captain." Quinn agreed, chucking her shoes off before climbing on the bed.

xxx

"I was an idiot." Brittany didn't hear the door of her room open but then again Santana had spent enough time in her house to know how to work the knob without making it creak.

"You were." Brittany acknowledged turning on her bed and taking Santana in. There was a cut on her bottom lip and her right cheek was beginning to bruise. "What happened to your face?"

"Q pushed me face first against the lockers. Hard." The Latina explained with an half shrug. She hadn't even noticed the blonde walk up behind her, she had been that out of sorts today. "She said that maybe that way I would get how much someone you care about can hurt you just because she feels like it." The cutting words had made her feel like maybe an inch tall. Quinn really had a way with words. "Then she said if I ever tell you something like that again she will do it harder, just so that maybe I will get in my thick head that it's wrong." Santana smiled a bit, nervously playing with her hands. "It sure as hell helped me to pull my head out of my ass."

"She is a good friend like that." Brittany said, nodding.

Santana shrugged, ashamed to admit she had fucked up so bad that her best friend had to slam her against a locker to make her realize how wrong she was. "I'm scared, B." She admitted looking right in Brittany's eyes. The sadness in those blue orbs almost killed her, but she forced herself to look on because she had put it there.

"I know San."

"Give me another chance?" Santana asked pleading with her eyes taking an hesitant step towards the bed. Two days ago she would have just dived in it and Brittany would have laughed at her goofiness before rolling over her and kissing her senseless.

"Always." Brittany whispered holding out her hand, silently asking Santana to join her.

With a relieved smile the Latina laced their fingers, happily snuggling down with the blonde.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the long wait guys but real life has been a bitch. There has been work stuff, then family stuff, then pets stuff. Yeah, pets too. I mean, my Persian cat got laryngitis (yes, cats get them too). In June. With something like 25 Celsius degrees out.**

**Crossing fingers, after this the updates should go back to the normal routine. For those of you that follow "Not ready" the new chapter should be up in a couple of days.**

**As always, thanks for the reviews.**

**AleatoirePerson, I agree with you. They put Quinn through the wringer in the show. A couple of times I found myself wondering if Dianna Agron had pissed off the writers somehow (just like I asked myself if Darren Criss had pissed off the wardrobe people in season three).**

**LaurenKnight13 I don't condone violence, unless it's needed ;). Really, sometimes Santana practically asks for it. And it was funny to write that scene (I think I have a longer version somewhere…)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee**

**Chapter 5**

_If you want something your Dragon will threaten, intimidate or cajole as needed to give it to you._

xxx

Rachel sat on the edge of the stage, rummaging in her bag. "Ah, here it is." She exclaimed finally holding the elusive soda she had been looking for.

She liked eating lunch in the auditorium. It was quiet. She liked the auditorium period. It was her hiding place, the place where her dreams could become true.

"Sorry for the wait, Coach wanted to speak to me." Quinn explained, quickly making her way from the door. In the last weeks it had become routine for the two of them to meet in the auditorium to eat lunch a couple of times at week.

"It's fine Quinn." Rachel reassured her friend, patting the stage next to her in a clear invitation. "I brought you a BTL sandwich."

"I thought you were vegan." Quinn asked sitting down. She still hadn't quite figured out how their meeting to eat lunch together had turned in Rachel bringing her lunch but she liked it. Really liked it. It made her feel special that Rachel went out of her way twice a week to make her lunch. Just so that she wouldn't have to eat the quote _heavily processed cafeteria's food_ unquote every day of week.

"I'm vegan, but you're not." Rachel replied with a bashful smile.

"Thanks Rach." Quinn said smiling back and pecking her friend on the cheek. Rachel blushed. "So what do you think about Mr Shue's idea of a boy versus girls competition?" Quinn asked taking a bit of her sandwich. "and by the way this is really good." She mumbled before taking another, bigger bit.

"I'm glad you like it." Rachel replied smiling at the look of ecstasy on Quinn's face. It was in moments like this that she couldn't remember why she had been scared of this girl once. "I'm sure we'll win. I mean the greatest voices are in our team."

"I like how humble you are." Quinn remarked after having swallowed.

"Maybe I was talking about Sunshine and Mercedes." Rachel replied, unwrapping her sandwich.

"Sure you were." Quinn said gently shoulder checking Rachel. "Any idea about the songs to mash up?"

"A couple." The brunette said taking a bit of her sandwich. "Nothing I feel strongly about yet. I was thinking we could use Star Me Up."

"Rolling Stone's song?"

"Yeah." Taking a bit out of her sandwich Rachel chewed looking at her friend. "Something wrong?" She asked noticing the tensing in Quinn's jaw. Rachel had figured out a couple of weeks ago that it meant the blonde was worried about something.

"No. Not yet a least." The blonde replied shrugging. "But I think Coach is plotting something."

"Against Glee club?"

"No. She wanted to review Cheerios routines with me, like she wanted to add something to it. It's the reason I was late today." Quinn frowned. "I asked her about it, since as the captain she always tells me about any change in the routines as soon as she decides them, especially when there is so little time before regionals. But she just brushed me off. I'm just frustrated out of my mind. But you don't have to worry about it."

Rachel nodded, going back to eat. When almost five minutes passed without a word it was Quinn who broke the silence, "Rach?"

"Yeah?"

"You're quiet today."

The comment startled Rachel, she wasn't used to have people underlining when she wasn't talking enough. More people she could count had told her she talked too much, Finn was among them and when she was unusually quiet Rachel couldn't shake the sensation he enjoined it. So it was strange to be called out on this. "Yeah, maybe a bit… I'm sorry I just have a lot on my mind, don't worry about it."

"I worry because your feelings are important, Rachel. You are important. So what's the matter?"

Rachel bit her lip for a moment not sure of how breaching the topic. "Are you are alright with homosexuality?" She blurted out at last, direct as always.

Quinn looked at Rachel like she had suddenly growth a second head, "You do know I'm friends with San and Brit, right?"

"Stupid question?" The brunette groaned hiding her face in both hands.

"A bit." Quinn admitted her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Just to get this out of the way once for all. I'm perfectly fine with homosexuality and bisexuality and surprisingly enough, with heterosexuality too." She added winking to Rachel, making her laugh. "Whatever float your boat, ok? Seriously, I believe if it feels right it's right." When Rachel didn't say anything she couldn't help but ask, "Surprised?"

"Relieved really." The brunette admitted with an half shrug meeting the hazel eyes she was beginning to know better than her own.

Quinn nodded, "May I ask why you were worried?"

"It'll sound narrow minded and stupid." Rachel warned dropping her gaze to the half eaten sandwich still in her hands.

"I promise I won't take offence." When the brunette didn't say anything Quinn pleaded softly, "I really want to know."

"I've never seen you without your crucifix." Rachel explained her hand reaching out to touch the charm. Realizing what she was doing she froze just short of the crucifix, near enough that she could feel the Quinn's warm. She quickly dropped her hand, startled by her own actions. "And many Christian denominations think that homosexuality is a sin."

"Ah," Quinn nodded, "good thing you didn't know I'm a practicing catholic then."

"You're catholic?"

It was hard for Quinn to not laugh at Rachel's stunned expression. "Mmm, Santana's too. We met in church actually, when we were five I think."

"I don't know what to say."

"Wow, Rachel Berry wordless… this has to be a first." This time Quinn laughed at the brunette's glare. "So crucifix aside, what is all about? Someone has made fun of your dads?"

"No, nothing of the sort. It's just… I'm worried for Kurt. Karofsky is bullying him because he come out. He slams him against the lockers, threatens him. Kurt isn't new at being bullied but I've talked with him Quinn and he is scared now, really scare of what Karofsky can do to him." Rachel explained playing with her sandwich, suddenly not hungry. "I feel so helpless. I tried to talk to the teachers but they don't seem to see or don't want to see the bullying. I asked to Finn if he could talk to Karofsky since they are on the same team. He told me he couldn't do anything since both Azimio and Karofsky are defensive linemen and they don't really play together." The blonde could see the frustration on Rachel's face at Finn's dismissive answer. Quinn wasn't surprised. The tall boy only fought for something if it was in his interests. And his girlfriends' happiness didn't qualify. In all the time they had dated Finn had never even offered her help when she had a problem. "I don't want to attend a school where being homosexual makes you fair game for bullies, Quinn. It scares me. I can't help but wonder who'll be next…"

There was real fear in Rachel's eyes and without thinking Quinn hugged her. "Hey, don't worry." She soothed, whispering in her ear. "I'll take care of it. Promise."

"Quinn, no!" Rachel almost screamed, panicking. "Karofsky could hurt you or something!"

"David can't do anything to me." Seeing the worry in the brown eyes so close to her own Quinn smiled softly and asked, "Who am I, Rachel?"

"Quinn." Rachel answered like that told everything there was to know. It made Quinn smile.

"And?" She prompted.

"The Cheerios' Captain." Rachel dutifully answered.

"And more importantly?"

"My Dragon." Rachel added smiling, before adding softly, looking straight in the blonde's eyes, wanting Quinn to see she was telling her the truth. "You don't have to Quinn, I didn't tell you about Kurt to ask for your help."

"Good to know that I don't have to, since I _want to_ help." She said hugging Rachel tighter and kissing her softly on the head. "And you didn't ask, I offered."

xxx

"Hello Karofsky." Quinn greeted.

"What are you doing here?" Karosfky said obviously startled. Usually he waited for the other guys to have done before showering himself. It was just safer that way. So, more often than not, when he stepped out of the shower he was alone in the lockers room. "This is the male lockers Fabray, so get out."

"Want to know something, Karofsky?" She replied smirking, stalking towards him like she owned the place. "Nobody ever told me to get out of here before."

Dave couldn't help but narrow his eyes at Quinn's odd tone, like she was alluding to something. But she couldn't know, couldn't she? He had been so careful to hide it. God, he was getting paranoid. So he just sneered at her, "Whatever."

"Yeah. _Whatever_." She laughed. It sounded mean and it was. Quinn had seen the flash of fear in his eyes, that moment of delay before the oh so dismissive answer. It was all the confirmation she needed to know she was right all along about him. "I don't like you Karofsky."

He glared at her, putting on his shirt, trying to ignore her. He was beginning to feel on edge without quite knowing why. The head cheerleader was just standing there, arm crossed with a smug smirk on her lips, her eyes never leaving him like she knew all the secrets of the world. All his secrets. "I don't like you either Fabray."

"Good, now that we have cleared that, let's talk business." Quinn said leaning against a locker.

"What do you want?" Dave asked. He suddenly had a bad feeling about this. He doubted Quinn Fabray got in the male lockers just to chat about the weather.

"You to stop bullying and harassing Kurt." She said simply. "And get Azimio to stop too."

"Why should I?" Dave sneered at her, trying to hide his fear with smugness. "You may be the Queen Bee but you don't get to order me about. I'm a football player, baby."

"I'm not here to order you about." She said blandly. "I'm here to give you a choice."

"Choice?" The hard, almost malevolent, gleam in those hazel eyes didn't bode well for him. He has seen her looking just like this, a mix of amused and bored, before when she was about to destroy somebody's life.

"A good one too." Quinn said her smile suddenly turning so cold Dave felt shivers run on his back. "You can go on and harass Kurt and make me angry enough to tell anyone you're gay, because we both know you are, and make your life hell, or" She said not giving him time to reply. "or you can stop harassing Kurt and I hook you up with a Cheerio who happens to have every intention to not go past first base. Ever."

Karosfky stood there studying her for a long minute before saying anything. He didn't know how she knew about him, but just looking in her eyes he was sure she wasn't bluffing. "It's a sure thing? About first base I mean…"

"Yeah." Quinn confirmed. "She doesn't really like the idea to go out with boys." She explained a bit to put him at ease. It wouldn't do to scare him now he was about to agree.

"And all I have to do is stop harassing Kurt?" Dave checked, feeling like he was making a deal with the devil. He wanted to be damned sure there wasn't some clause he didn't know about. "And get Azimio to do the same?"

"Exactly."

He took another moment to study her and couldn't see any sign of deceit. Finally he nodded once. "Alright, you have a deal."

"A pleasure do business with you." Quinn said from over her shoulder already leaving the locker room. "I'll introduce you to Jessica next week. You'll like her, she is a great friend. See you around."

xxx

Seeing Rachel was still at her locker Brittany bounded up to her leaving Quinn and Santana to trail behind her. "Rach!" She called out practically jumping in brunette's arms.

After a moment of shock Rachel simply hugged the blonde back, laughing out loud when Brittany lifted and twirled her.

"Put her down Britt." Santana drawled rolling her eyes. "You have seen her like, five minutes ago."

They had parted with Rachel only to change out of their costumes after they had finished their mash up. No matter how hot it was, black leather wasn't exactly the most comfortable fabrics to wear for any extended stretch of time. So the three Cheerios had gone to their lockers to retrieve their uniforms while Rachel had gone to change in one of the bathroom with the promise to see each other at the singer's locker.

"But I missed her San!" Brittany whined, making puppy eyes to Santana, who grumbled before nodding. It was all the permission the dancer had needed to twirl Rachel once more before letting her go.

"So, you still on for movie night at my house?" Quinn asked walking up to the two of them the bandana she had wore still in her hands. She couldn't help the smile at seeing just how little Rachel looked cradled in Brittany's arms.

"Sure! Let's go to celebrate." The brunette agreed with a smile, closing her locker and picking up her backpack from the floor.

"S?" Quinn asked to the Latina who had walked up at the taller blonde's side as soon as she had let Rachel go, her fingers immediately lacing with Brittany's. The head cheerleader couldn't help the smile at the show of affection. Santana hadn't intertwined only their pinkies but all the fingers. Quinn knew her friends had talked after she had… _talked _to Santana, but she didn't know the specifics. She hadn't asked and neither of them had told her. It was their relationship, if they wanted to share they would. All Santana had said to her the day after at Cheerios' practice was that Brittany and she had decided to date each other exclusively. Quinn had simply replied with an _"about damn time"_ who had earned her a slight shove. Quinn had spent the rest of the practice smiling like a mad man since she had never seen either of her friends look happier.

Before Santana could answer her question, Finn walked over directly to Rachel's side, completely ignoring the unholy trinity. The boy had not quite so casually ended up halting just between Quinn and Rachel effectively blocking them from seeing each other with his bulk.

It wasn't the first time Finn tried something like that. After the scene in the cafeteria Finn had taken to just ignore Quinn and give her his back as often as possible. Quinn found it quite childish.

"Come on Rachel, I'll give you a lift home." He offered with a lopsided, charming, grin. Behind Finn's back Quinn's smile turned in a frown. "Then we can hang out."

"Tonight is movie night at Quinn's, Finn." Rachel said.

"Cool." But he sounded less then enthused about it. "So when we have to get there?" Finn asked only to see the girls shake their heads at him. "What?"

"Sorry Finn, but this is girls only." Rachel explained. Santana couldn't help but notice she wasn't looking all that sad at ditching her boyfriend.

"Yeah, it's like girls bonding time." Brittany said smiling at Finn.

"Yeah Finnept. No boys allowed." Santana added with a devilish gleam in her eyes, trying very hard to not laugh at the glare Quinn had shoot Finn at his idea to tag along. Her captain's tolerance for the bumbling idiot was fast reaching absolute zero.

"But I want to hang with you, Rachel!" He whined, pleading with the brunette. "I'm your boyfriend, shouldn't I rate higher than girls night?"

"Normally, yes." Rachel confirmed not aware of how her answer made Quinn's frown deepen. Santana saw it and just smirked. "But I told you yesterday of this movie night and you never said anything about any plans concerning our hanging out together today. I believe you told me you would have spent the afternoon at Puck's for a COD tournament?"

"But Puck cancelled on me!"

"I'm sorry to hear that Finn, but I gave my word to the girls. And you know how much keeping my word matters to me. So, see you tomorrow." She said giving him a quick peck on his cheek before falling in step with Quinn whom had neatly sidestepped the quarterback.

"Did she just like, ditch me?" Finn asked to nobody in particular watching his girlfriend leave with Quinn like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Nothing gets past you, Captain Obvious." Santana deadpanned from over her shoulder, gently leading Brittany by their entwined fingers. If Quinn's speed walking away with Rachel was any indication by now her captain was almost to the parking lot and being that far from her captain was just wrong.

When they got to Quinn's house the blonde parked her car in the garage making sign to Santana to leave hers in the driveway.

"Your parents?" Santana asked walking up to the door where Quinn and Rachel were waiting. The Latina hadn't missed that Quinn's car was the only one in the double garage.

"They are on a business trip." The blonde replied opening the door and turning off the alarm system.

"For how long this time Q?" Santana asked rolling her eyes, walking past the blonde and turning on the lights in the hall. Shrugging her coat off she went to hang it in the closet in the hallway before doing the same with Brittany's.

"They'll be gone all the week." Quinn replied with a careless shrug, taking off her leather jacket. "Maybe more, I don't really know."

Nodding at Quinn's words Santana turned to Rachel who was still standing by the door. "You think you'll manage to get out of that coat some time in this century, Streisand?" Santana prompted annoyed when the brunette didn't hand her jacket.

"Be nice, San." Brittany reminded as the smaller brunette finally handed Santana her coat with a whispered thanks. The well oiled routine the cheerleaders had fallen into as soon as they had got in the house made Rachel felt left out, like she was just a stranger. It made Rachel uneasy and Santana's sudden annoyance only added to it. It had been months that Santana hadn't snapped at her. The Latina just nodded, collecting Quinn's coat too before putting them away.

"Tomorrow dinner at my house, Q." The Latina ground out, following Quinn to the kitchen and plopping ungracefully in one of the stools at the counter. "And if neither of them is home by Sunday you presence to family dinner is mandatory as always."

"Sure, S." The blonde nodded easily before turning to Rachel who had watched the exchange in silence. She made a mental note to invite the blonde at dinner this week, after all it was time for Quinn to meet her dads. "Is vegetable fried rice ok?" The blonde asked her smoothly changing the topic.

"Perfect Quinn." Rachel replied. "Can I do something to help you?"

"Don't worry about it just sit at the counter with B and S." Quinn had already got the vegetables out of the fridge and was about to star chopping them.

Dinner had been delicious and full of laughter. Rachel wouldn't have ever suspected Quinn had been the hell raiser when Santana and she had met each other at five. Apparently it was a small miracle that their church hadn't burned down years ago. There had been a slight problem with Quinn's idea on how to heat the sacristy. It involved matches, candles and paper. Paper whose origin was better not ask about. The words books and holy had been tossed around.

After the three girls quickly cleaned the kitchen ignoring Quinn's complaints to just leave it for her to do tomorrow, they moved to the living room.

Quite naturally Rachel found herself sitting next to Quinn on one of the couches as Santana and Brittany cuddled on the other. The brunette had imposed herself early on to not stare at the couple. Nobody had told her straight out the two cheerleaders were together but then again Santana and Brittany relationship was an open secret at McKinley's. Still it was the first time that Rachel saw them in private and the difference was obvious.

It was just strange to see the fierce latina smile sweetly at Brittany while whispering in the blonde ear. It had to be something funny, if Brittany's soft laugh was anything to go by.

"Ignore them. Santana is like a cuddle monster." Quinn spoke in a lull of the movie having caught Rachel staring at her friends the whole night. The movie, chosen by Santana, apparently it was her turn, was good, just not good enough to keep them from talking.

"I heard you, Q." The Latina growled out.

"I meant you to, S." Quinn sneered. "At least she doesn't try to deny it anymore." She added mock whispering in Rachel's ear, ignoring Santana's muttered curses. "It was getting tiresome." Rachel just laughed at their antics.

It was nice to see the two girls so obviously in love. Brittany pecking Santana's lips, telling her she was just _"too cute when she was growly"_, made Rachel remember something. "Kurt told me Karofsky stopped bullying him."

"Yeah?" Quinn said with an half smile. "Strange."

"Very much so since it happened quite suddenly from one day to the next." Rachel replied enjoying the banter with Quinn. "It seems that Karofsky even stopped Azimio from calling Kurt names. Karofsky told him to grow up and it was high time he got a girlfriend if he had so much free time he took an interest in homosexuals' lives?" With the corner of her eye Rachel could see that suddenly Santana too was interested in this conversation. "Thanks Quinn. I don't know how you have done it, but thanks."

"It was the last I could do. I should have done it before. I won't stand by and let anyone be bullied for being an homosexual." Quinn said smiling at Rachel before looking at Santana who nodded, wordlessly letting the blonde know she grateful for the new, clear stance the HBIC had taken. It made the latina feel much better knowing that her captain would completely support her.

When the second movie ended, Brittany's choice this time, Santana disentangled from her girlfriend and got up from the couch, gallantly offering the taller blonde her hand to help her to stand up. "Come on B, it's time to go. You know your mom doesn't like you to stay out so late on weekdays."

"Santana's is right. It's late. I have to go too." Rachel said getting up from the couch with a apologetic look to Quinn.

"Of course. I'll drive you back." The blonde said getting up too after turning off the television. Santana went to retrieve the coats while Quinn got the car keys. A couple of minutes later they were saying their goodbyes on the driveway, promising to do another movie night soon.

When they reached Rachel's house Quinn parked her car and turned off the ignition. They sat there, neither knowing quite what to say.

"I had fun tonight." Rachel said at last.

"I had fun too." Quinn smiled back.

"So we will do this again some other time?" Rachel asked trying to not sound overeager. The more time she spent with Quinn, the more she wanted to spend with her.

"Of course we will Rachel." Quinn assured. "What do you say of Monday night next week?" She added wanting to firm up the tentative plan to be certain Finn couldn't ruin it at the last minute.

"Perfect." Rachel replied with a blinding smile. "I have to go. See you tomorrow."

"See you." Quinn replied giving a quick half hug to Rachel before the brunette opened the car door. "Hey Rach?" She called out when the brunette was already half out of the car. "Remember, tomorrow Cheerios practice starts half an hour later than usual."

"Thanks for the reminder. Bye Quinn."

Quinn only waved goodbye, patiently waiting for the smaller girl to enter in the house before starting her car and leaving the curb.

xxx

**I wrote this last scene something like ten times for a total of six thousand words that ended in the trash. It just sounded wrong. I'm still not one hundred percent sure of how it turned out, but short of scrapping it altogether this is the best I could do. **


	6. Chapter 6

**It's been too long I know but RL is a bitch.**

**Thank for the reviews and for reading this story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own glee**

**Chapter 6**

"I made it, Q! I made it!"

Brittany shouted running up to table where Quinn and Rachel were already seated waiting for their friends to join them. The four of them shared this study hall and usually that was exactly what they did in this period. Study. _"Apparently not today." _An amused Rachel thought. It was a good thing that they were in the little classroom reserved for the Cheerios study halls instead than in the library or they would already been thrown out. Apparently years ago Sue had convinced the principal that her Cheerios couldn't study effectively around losers so a classroom had been set aside for the cheerleaders exclusive use.

Brittany reached Quinn and lifted her right out of the chair like she weighted nothing and began to twirl her around, still screaming with joy.

Santana was a couple of steps behind her girlfriend watching with an amused smile as she celebrated her good news with Quinn.

"Did I miss something?" Rachel asked the Latina, looking bewildered to the two blondes who now were busy dancing with each other to a music they only could hear. Rachel couldn't not notice just how beautiful they looked dancing like this. Hot too. Really, really hot.

"Today Britt got back her math results. She scored a C plus." Santana explained smiling herself, proud of her girlfriend's accomplishment.

"And that's good, right?" Rachel asked trying to understand. She didn't know Brittany's average even if the display before her left her little doubt about the nature of the news. Still, asking was safer than assuming in Rachel's opinion.

"That's great." Santana said, sitting down and putting down her and Brittany's books. "This is her last class and then she is done with it. Britt hates math."

"San is right. I just don't understand the stuff." A panting Brittany admitted with a beaming smile when she finally made her way to the table with Quinn, whom too was panting with a smile almost as big on her face.

"You got C plus Britt, that means you get it, you know?" Quinn said gently bumping shoulders with her friend. She just couldn't stop smiling. This were really great news.

"It's all thanks to you, Q." Brittany said side hugging Quinn and resting her head on the smaller blonde's shoulder. The Cheerios Captain began to run gentle fingers through Brittany's hair making her sigh from the pleasure.

"How come?" Rachel asked curious. It was the first time that the brunette saw Quinn being this affectionate with someone, this caring, but she decided it suited her. She loved the glimpses of the blonde's sweet side she got to see since they had become friends.

"Q helps me every day with my math homework." Brittany explained. "We don't just do the exercises, she helps me with them until I really get why they are solved that way. She is like the only one who has ever made me understand it."

"Hush B, you're making me look like an angel."

"Well, you sure as hell have the face for it, Q. It's a pity you lack the heart to really pull it off…" Santana drawled out smirking at Quinn.

"Too true." Her best friend agreed, winking at the Latina.

Her best friend. Three years ago Santana wouldn't ever thought Quinn Fabray would end up being her best friend when she had had to ask for her help. At best she had thought she would be blackmailed, at worst that the blonde would have laughed in her face.

_It had only been a month since High School had started and Santana's plan to keep Brittany safe from harm, namely having the blonde be a Cheerios and herself be a Cheerios and a mean bitch to anybody who so much looked funny at her best friend, had already run against several complications._

_Brittany had a poor sense of orientation. That meant she got lost often. And being late at class wouldn't win her any points with the teachers, and sooner or later someone would start to make fun of her for it. Santana had resolved the problem by simply asking, so very nicely of course, to the sophomore whose locker was next to Brittany's to give it up to her. It had made walking her best friend to her classes so much easier._

_But that wasn't the only complication._

_At the start of the year Coach Sylvester had been very clear on the fact that Cheerios had to average C to remain on squad, and that they had to earn their marks._

_And Santana had seen the red circled D Brittany's on last paper and she had seen the girl's lost looks when their Algebra teacher explained something. It wasn't the only bad mark Brittany had earned. History and English hadn't gone that much better and Biology had been a C minus._

_Santana had known for years that her best friend wasn't an honor roll student by any means, but the blonde had always managed to average C in middle school by herself. And the Latina knew for a fact that Brittany had studied more than she ever had before since the start of freshman year._

_So Santana had offered to tutor her and Brittany had been only too happy to accept her help. The brunette still felt a little queasy thinking back to just how swiftly Brittany had picked her up in her arms and for how long the blonde had twirled her around as a celebration._

_But what had really moved Santana happened after the taller girl had finally put her down. The Latina had felt tears gather in her eyes when Brittany had candidly admitted she had always been quite aware of the fact she wasn't the brightest crayon in the box and she was lucky to have a best friend like her._

_They begun to study together every day and soon enough Brittany was caught up with her classes. This way History, English and Biology had been taken care of. The problem was Algebra. Santana herself averaged a low B in the subject and she knew she didn't understand it nearly enough to try to explain it to someone else._

_Santana hadn't known what to do. Nobody in their class really got it and she had overheard the other Cheerios complain about the class difficulty in the lockers._

_In the end she had been worried enough to go to talk to Quinn Fabray about it, since she was the Captain's right arm. From day one the Coach had been clear she would be the troubleshooter for the freshmen. So she went to talk Quinn even if asking for help went against everything in her. But for Brittany she would swallow her pride and ask._

"_I need to speak to you Fabray." Santana had waited for all the others to leave the lockers room before approaching the blonde. She didn't know how this talk would go and she really didn't want witnesses to it if it went badly. The taller girl didn't exactly come across as the most friendly girl ever. Truth to be told she wasn't, as Santana would learn later on. And Santana knew Quinn had a very good reason to not help Brittany. The taller blonde was a better tumbler than her. And in Sue Sylvester words "_there isn't second place, there is only the first of the losers and nobody in my team is a loser_". With Brittany out of the team Quinn's life would get much more easy._

"_What's the matter?" Quinn asked, sitting down to lace up her shoes._

"_Brittany is having difficulties with Algebra. She needs a tutor for it."_

"_What about her other subjects?" Quinn asked, showing she knew much more about the Cheerios than how they performed on the field. "I know Algebra isn't the only one she isn't averaging C in."_

"_She is already caught up in them." The Latina explained. "I tutor her everyday but I'm not good enough to help her with Algebra." It galled to Santana admit this but it was true._

_Quinn turned her head to one side and studied the Latina in front of her for a long moment. "I'll tutor her."_

"_You?!"__ Santana didn't know what surprised her more, that a blonde knew enough to tutor fellow classmen about algebra, yes, she knew she was stereotyping, or that Quinn voluntary wanted to spend time with someone. __Quinn had kept strictly to herself during cheer camp, not making friends with anyone, and even after that she wasn't the most sociable girl in the squad. Surely she was the less outgoing. She did all the right things: she showed up to the right parties, ate lunch with the right crowd, hanged out with the popular crowd, but it was clear she wasn't there to get close with anyone. Other than that she didn't hang out voluntary with anyone, she was kind of a loner._

"_Yeah, me." She replied arching a eyebrow a just there smile on her lips. Santana would later learn that this expression meant Quinn was extremely amused._

"_What you get out of it?" Santana growled out warily._

"_Nothing." At Santana's incredulous look the blonde explained. "Brittany helped me with a tumble." The taller blonde had helped Quinn with the landing part of a particular tumble. One that done wrong could mean a severe injury to the knees. Quinn owed to Brittany for that help. "I'm sure that sort of loyalty isn't foreign to you." She almost taunted, knowing the vaunted bitchness of the Latina was just a façade._

_It was Santana's turn to study the blonde for a long moment. Again that arched eyebrow and an almost there smirk and something in those hazel eyes she couldn't quite put her finger on. "You don't know me." She said at least. Not because it wasn't true. Santana was very loyal to her friends but she didn't like people to assume things about her. She didn't like people to know how much she cared for her Britt._

"_No," Quinn admitted, standing up and zipping her bag. "but I know what you do for Brittany. You just told me you tutor her in just about every subject and I know about the locker exchange." The blonde smirked at Santana's look of surprise. "The change is now recorded in the school files, by the way." Apparently Quinn had taken on herself to help her before. And the way she told it made clear Quinn's intervention come without strings attached.__ This unexpected development intrigued Santana. Maybe Quinn wasn't only a frigid bitch. __"__I'll see you two in the Cheerios study lounge tomorrow after the last bell."_

"_Why we?" Santana asked grabbing her gym bag._

"_Three reasons really: one you won't leave Brittany alone with me no matter what I say, because you don't trust me with her, or anyone really;" Quinn explained grabbing her own bag making Santana grin. "Two, you could always use an A in that class. And three, I could do worse than you two as friends. We'll see if it works out." She added with a smile._

_Santana grinned. She was beginning to really like the blonde._

After Brittany's unusual entrance they settled down to study, or tried to. Here and there they talked a bit still too delighted by the good news to be focused one hundred per cent. Rachel found out that Santana and Quinn had tutored Brittany since the start of freshmen year. It was also how the three of them had made friends.

When the bell rang they collected their things, ready to go home. As usual Brittany and Santana got to the door in record time, practically skidding there, making Rachel roll her eyes at their antics. The two of them acted like school was some sort of strange torture.

"So what time I have to show up tonight?" Quinn asked as she and Rachel walked to their lockers to a more sedate pace.

"Dinner is at seven. Whenever before."

"Six is alright?" Quinn inquired.

"Perfect. Really, the earlier you come the better it is, my dads loved you." Rachel smiled, recalling last week dinner. "I suspect Daddy loves you more than me, actually." She added, mock frowning.

"That's only because I brought non vegan profiterole along with the vegan ones." Quinn said laughing.

"_Hello, Quinn." Rachel welcomed with a blinding smile, opening the door as soon as the doorbell rang. "Come in." Seeing the two bakery's boxes the blonde had with her Rachel couldn't help but ask. "What do you have there?"_

"_I brought the dessert." She said stepping in the Berry's house In a way she liked it more than her own. It was smaller but cozier and it gave a distinct feeling of home, that lacked in her house._

"_You didn't have to." Rachel said, leading the way to the kitchen. "Dad, daddy, this is Quinn. Quinn these are my fathers, Leroy and Hiram Berry."_

"_Hello sirs." She greeted them with a polite nod to both men. The taller one, Leroy, was sitting at the breakfast table, while the other, Hiram, was obviously still cooking. "I hope I didn't presume too much but I brought the dessert."_

"_You didn't have to." Hiram said._

"_It's nothing special, just profiterole."_

"_Vegan?" Leroy asked almost with resignation. Quinn didn't seem the kind of guest who brought a dessert than half of her hosts couldn't eat. And she sure as hell wasn't the kind of guest who didn't bring anything. Like Finn. But he was an heterosexual guy and apparently allowances had to be made for them._

_Quinn nodded. "Vegan." She said lifting the first box. "and non vegan." She said lifting the second._

"_Yeah?" Leroy asked with a much more interested glint in his eyes._

"_Yeah. Rachel told me you aren't vegan."_

"_They didn't convert me." He admitted with a proud smile. "Not for lack of trying."_

"_They really tried to?" Quinn asked with a smile._

_Leroy nodded, then frowned. "You should know Rachel's torture methods firsthand by now."_

"_She never tried to convert me." Quinn admitted with a shrug._

"_Yeah?" Leroy asked, puzzled. Rachel was proud of being vegan and she often exhorted others to try it. With all the subtleness that characterized her._

"_Yes. She even made me a BLT sandwich the other day." _

_All Leroy could think was "_strange_", it was decidedly out of character for Rachel. Half the time she refused to even touch bacon._

_By the time Quinn made her excuses to go home, because it was a school night and it wouldn't do be up too late, she had completely charmed her fathers. So much that when she had left her daddy had told Quinn she could consider herself always welcome in their home._

_It had surprised Rachel because they hadn't ever taken that much shine to any of her friends. Not that she had invited that many persons before. The family dinner with Finn had turned out pretty differently. The conversation had been stilted all night no matter which topic they were talking about. At the end of the dinner Rachel didn't know who had looked more relieved, Finn or her dads. Actually she kind of suspected they hadn't liked Finn, even if they hadn't said a single bad thing about him after he left._

"_You really meant that? That she is always welcome?" She checked, cautious._

"_We really like her, Rachel." Her dad had explained with a shrug and a smile. "and you seem so happy around her."_

"_She is really a charming girl." Leroy added. Rachel didn't say anything back, completely agreeing with them her own smile so wide it almost hurt. _

"I'll see you later then." Quinn said when they reached Rachel's locker.

"Bye Quinn." Rachel replied taking a moment to just look at the blonde walk away before turning opening her locker.

xxx

"You look stunning." The words were out before Rachel could stop them. It had been an instinctive reaction to seeing Quinn step out of the changing room.

She was stunning and beautiful and breathtaking.

Rachel couldn't take her eyes from Quinn.

"Really?" Quinn asked with a smirk, making Rachel realize she was staring.

The brunette nodded and blushed, ducking her head, not really knowing why she felt so flushed.

"You look beautiful too. Red suits you." Quinn said letting her eyes travel over Rachel's body. She really looked spectacular in her bridesmaid dress. The blonde was really grateful that Carole had permitted them to choose their own dresses.

"You're saying that only because you're my friend." The brunette demurred.

"I'm saying that because you are beautiful, Rachel." Quinn replied with one of her soft smiles, in the sweeter voice Rachel had ever heard, making the smaller girl blush some more. "You really should dress up more often, you know?" She said closing the space between them, until they were standing side to side in front of the big mirror placed in the room for the girls to do a last check.

"Do you really think so?" Rachel asked when she found her voice again, being complimented by Quinn sent tingles all over her body.

"Yes, I do. And you really should always choose a backless dress, Rachel. Your back is just…" Quinn's hand instinctively reaching out to touch the olive skin. Her fingers almost brushed Rachel's back, before she caught herself and withdraw them. Turning her eyes away, Quinn cleared her throat. "So are you ready for the wedding to start?"

Before Rachel could answer the door swung open.

"Rach, are you here?" Finn called out, walking in the ladies' changing room without knocking or waiting for a reply.

"Yes Finn." Rachel said turning to him, smirking at Quinn's mumbled _"Do come in."_. "You really look handsome." And he really did look handsome in his tuxedo.

"Thanks, you too." He replied with a smile before adding with his patented puppy look. "Listen, could you help with my tie?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. Only Finn couldn't fix a clip-on tie by himself. Heaven help him if he would ever have to actually tie one.

"Of course I'll help you." Rachel said with a soft smile of her own. She liked when it was Finn who searched her out, she liked being needed.

"I'll go to see if Sam is ready." Quinn offered, wanting to leave the room as soon as possible. Lately Finn seemed to get on her nerves with his only presence. "Maybe he too need instructions on how to clip a tie. Claps can be tough things to figure out all by oneself." She added in her driest tone she could muster.

"I'll see you later then Quinn." Rachel said beaming a smile to her.

"Later, Rachel." She said before nodding to her ex boyfriend. "Finn."

"Quinn." He replied. "You are spending much time with Quinn lately." Finn observed when the blonde was out of the room.

"She is my friend Finn and my right arm." Rachel explained fixing his tie. "Alright. Done." She said patting his chest and taking a step back.

"Maybe you should see her less."

"You already told me that Finn." Rachel said rolling her eyes, going back to the mirror. She wanted to fix her hair a last time.

"She is always around you at school" He said following her. "I can't spend a minute alone with you without her being there."

"I don't see the problem." Rachel shrugged, moving a lock of hair.

"It's that we aren't seeing each other so much lately." He tried again, hoping his girlfriend would get his reasoning without him spelling it out. When Rachel just looked at him puzzled he went on. "She is coming between us. You spend more time with Quinn than me."

"You're getting ridiculous." She scoffed turning to face him.

It's like she is your boyfriend instead of me!" Finn shouted, getting exasperated. "Last week you spent every afternoon with her, Rachel."

"We were studying, Finn." Rachel huffed out, starting to get irritated. "We are in the same classes and she is very smart. She was helping me with calculus."

"You invite her to dinner to your house on a regular basis."

"I would invite you too, but you are scared of my fathers." She snapped back.

"Leroy spends all his time glowering at me." Finn defended himself. "It's creepy."

"That's not true, but even if it was, he is my daddy, Finn. Daddies do that to suitors." Rachel explained to him speaking slowly like with a child. She left out her suspect that he hadn't really impressed favorably her fathers the only time he dined with them.

Finn shook his head, beginning to pace. "Don't you see? Quinn is trying to make us break up."

"You aren't making any sense Finn. Exactly how is she trying to break us up?"

"You really don't understand do you?" He said beginning to raise his voice, starting to get frustrated by his girlfriend slowness. "Quinn is only spending time with you because she wants me back! She is taking away our "us" time!"

"Do I need to remind you it was her who broke up with you?" Rachel said getting angry.

"That was last year. But now that I'm the starting quarterback again she wants to get back with me. She lost Sam to Sandy and now she wants to get back with me for popularity sake!" He almost shouted getting desperate. "You can't trust her. She manipulates people, Rachel! She is using you."

"Enough Finn, you're getting it all wrong. I know Quinn better than you and she has been only good to me. Not everything is about you."

"She has asked me out earlier this year!" He shot hoping to make her understand his point of view.

"I had asked her to." Rachel admitted.

"What?" He asked taken aback.

"After last year I wanted to know if you would dump me against for the first cheerleader who showed you some attention." Rachel explained not quite meeting his eyes. It wasn't her proudest moment, but she had been scared.

"How could you?" He asked hurt, taking a step back from her.

"How could I when you broke up with me so you could go to a date with both Santana and Brittany?" She asked quietly, her own hurt clear in her voice, suddenly feeling unsure.

"That was last year, it doesn't matter anymore." Finn replied closing the space between them and taking Rachel in his arms, hiding the grimace at lying to his girlfriend again. But it was for the best. "They didn't mean anything then, they don't mean anything now. I told you, we shared nothing. Trust me." He asked softly, squeezing her feeling her borrowing in the hug.

"I trust you." She said relaxing in his arms

"I love you Rachel and only you." Finn said smiling.

"Do you really mean that?" Rachel asked turning her head to look at his eyes, seeking reassurance.

"Yeah I do." Finn said leaning down to kiss her.

She kissed him back then stepped out of the hug. "We have to go now. Your mom's wedding is about to start."

xxx

"You look sad Kurt." Rachel said walking up to him and giving him his glass of champagne. Burt and Carol had expressly allowed the New Direction to toast with real alcohol. They could drink, with moderation, namely they could have two champagne glasses each.

"Hey Rachel." He greeted, still looking at the dance floor where Finn and his mother were still dancing. "I'm not sad, it's just Finn being Finn."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He is ashamed to be seen with me. Even now that we are step brothers." Kurt said shrugging like it didn't matter, but his tone betrayed him. "Yesterday he even closed choir room's door when we were practicing together with my dad. He practically refused to practice with me."

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." He said with a sad smile. "You want to know something funny?" Rachel nodded. "I thought he was the reason Karofsky stopped bullying and harassing me. I even thanked him for that." Kurt said rolling his eyes at his own ingenuity. It had happened while they were practicing. Karofsky had walked by the choir room had seen him there and had simply turned his head, not an hint of threat in his gaze or his posture. Thinking Dave's sudden change of attitude was due to Finn, Kurt had thanked his future step-brother. Finn's patented confused face, even more confused than usual, had made clear he wasn't the one that had made Karofsky stop bullying him.

Rachel's strange silence, nobody would ever describe Rachel as quiet, made Kurt turn to look at her. She was fidgeting, her eyes looking everywhere but at him. "You are fidgeting Rachel." He pointed out narrowing his eyes at the strange behavior.

"I'm not." She denied weakly.

"You know who made Karofsky stop." Kurt said after studying her for a moment. It wasn't hard making two plus two and getting four. "Come on, spill it." When Rachel only shook her head he turned serious. "I want to thank them Rachel." He explained quietly. "It was getting pretty bad with Karofsky. I was getting really scared."

"Quinn. It was Quinn." She finally relented. Rachel didn't want to keep it a secret, she hadn't already told Kurt only because the blonde had asked her not to.

"Quinn?" He repeated, startled.

"Yes, Quinn." Rachel snapped. "She is a very caring person, you know?"

"Rachel, calm down." Kurt said, trying to placate the fuming Diva, not understanding why she had reacted so strongly at his words. "I didn't mean to sound ungrateful or anything like that, I was just surprised."

"No, it's me that is sorry Kurt." Rachel said slowly breathing pout, trying to calm herself down. "It's just that I had a discussion with Finn about Quinn and I'm still upset about it."

"What has my dear step brother told you to make you this angry?" Kurt couldn't quite stop himself from rolling his eyes. It was a wonder how Finn could make a relationship work considering he put his foot in his mouth on a regular basis.

"Finn is sure the only reason Quinn spends time with me is to make us break up so she can go back with him."

"That's twisted." Kurt whistled out. "but it doesn't surprise me. Finn always thinks that everything is about him. Well we do too." He added winking at Rachel, who only huffed at the insinuation, but half smiled at him. They were divas after all.

"He asked me to stop seeing her."

Kurt laughed at this. "Another thing that doesn't surprise me. Finn doesn't like to feel threatened and he is scared stiff of Quinn. She intimidates the hell out of him. Well, she intimidates practically the whole school." He added after a moment. "Finn is just more scared than most, but then again I would too if I were on her bad side."

"Why is Quinn angry with Finn?" Rachel had noticed a certain stiffness in the blonde's when Finn was around but she had chalked it up to them being exes.

"There is a laundry list of reason really. First of all he didn't tell you she had took his role as co-captain and right hand after his abysmal performance last year."

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked, frowning. This was news to her.

"You don't know?" Kurt seemed honestly surprised. "Last year, just before Regionals Quinn dressed down Finn in front of all of us. It was like epic." He smirked at the memory. It had been fun to see the strapping quarterback taken a peg or ten down. "I never would have thought someone as tall as him could look so little. He was practically in tears after she was done. But I'm digressing. To sum it up, Quinn told Finn she was the new co captain and your right hand, since he was so, and I'm quoting here, "_so fucking inept at it_". He asked to be the one to break the news to you and she agreed."

"Finn never said anything to me." And for the first time Rachel asked herself what other things Finn hadn't told her.

xxx

Quinn sat at the New Directions' table not really listening to Artie and Sunshine even if they made regular, polite, attempts to include her in their conversation about music. The blonde was more interested in watching Santana and Brittany dance along with the other three glee couples. Well, more two and half, since Sandy wasn't in Glee Club. Thank God too, since Quinn knew she was completely tone deaf. The red headed Cheerio couldn't even manage to sing happy birthday in tune, like she had painfully found out at Becky's birthday party last year.

"Can I have this dance?" Kurt's voice distracted Quinn from people watching. The boy was standing next to her, as always the most smart looking in the whole room, gentlemanly offering her his hand. "Of course." The blonde replied standing up with his help.

They took the floor just in time for the start of a soft waltz, ending up next to her best friends. The deliriously happy look, and just perceptible blush, Santana sported when Brittany took the lead for this slow song made Quinn smile.

"Are you ready?" Kurt asked to draw her attention.

"Whenever you want to start." The blonde said putting her right hand in his left and the other on his shoulder, in the classic starting position.

They started together at the next one, instantly in synchrony with the other. "You took ballroom lessons." It wasn't a question.

"Last year my father wanted me to go to Chastity Ball." Quinn explained, rolling her eyes. She didn't like balls. "B taught me how to dance the waltz and the other slow dances."

"She did the same for me." Kurt revealed with a smile. It was one of the few good memories of the time he had tried to date Brittany last year.

"It shows."

After that exchange they danced in silence, enjoying themselves.

"Thanks Quinn." Kurt broke the silence after a while.

"Whatever for Kurt?" She asked softly not understanding what he was talking about. From his tone it was clear he was speaking of something rather important.

"Rachel told me it was you who stopped Karofsky from bullying me." Kurt explained. "She tried to hide it at first. But you know Rachel. That girl can't lie to save her life."

"Ah." Quinn said understanding. "You shouldn't thank me Kurt, because I didn't it only for you." Quinn told him seriously. She wouldn't take merit for something like that. "I did it to make school safe for everyone who has or wants to step out of the closet."

"Santana and Brittany." He said with an understandingly nod and an amused glint in his eyes.

"Maybe." Quinn conceded not confirming or denying anything. It wasn't her place to say and Kurt knew it, so he didn't push. "But you aren't the only gay kid in our school."

"One out of ten I heard." Kurt supplied. It was one of the things he tried to remember when he felt alone.

"Yeah? I had heard one out of twenty." Quinn said. "Still it's a lot."

"That it is." Kurt agreed, coming to an halt now that this song had ended too. "You are really an amazing dancer, you know?"

"Why thanks, Mr Hummel. You are a pretty amazing lead yourself."

"Do you care for another dance Miss Fabray? I don't have a lady and you seem to lack a gentlemen yourself." Kurt asked with a confident grin.

"Maybe we just don't need them." Quinn said winking at him.

Xxx

**Next chapter will cover sectionals guys.**


	7. Chapter 7

**xxx**

**Added on 10/6: **

**Author's note: Ok, I don't know how many of you will read this note but I didn't want to put it on a new chapter and make you all believe it was the update because it turns out I lied about posting today. I forgot I'm still in Travel!Silea mode and now, to sum it up, I'm here and the chapter is there… so you guys'll get the update as soon as I'll get back home, so Tuesday more than likely. Try to not hate me for the wait, pretty please?**

**xxx**

**Thanks for the reviews guys and the patience to wait for another late update.**

**Alright, this chapter started as a quick scene in the sectionals chapter and now it has almost five thousand words on its own so I decided to post it as chapter 7.**

**Warning: In this chapter there is thickhead!Finn. I tried to not bash him, let me know how I did.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

**Chapter 7**

_Dragons have feelings too._

xxx

"Ok, we're done for today. Hit the showers girls." Quinn called out to the assembled Cheerios, some looking pretty worse for the wear, all of them sweat drenched. Sectionals were nearing and Coach Sylvester had put them on what she called pre-competition training and every girl in the squad called torture. It wasn't something new but it made hearing that practice was over all the more sweet.

The other cheerleaders started to leave the field, quietly chatting between them as they walked, and in some cases, dragged themselves, to the locker room.

Santana stood still for a moment, not knowing what to do. She was as tired as anyone else but she was more worried about what she had seen and overheard during practice than getting to the showers before the sweat got cold on her skin.

She watched Coach Sylvester leave the field with Becky and pondered if she could follow her without getting caught. She quickly discarded the plan, going half cocked after the Coach was a bad idea especially after Sue had showed a sinister amount of interest in Brittany. Santana knew she wasn't exactly rational when things come down to Brittany. So the brunette did what she had always done when something worried her: she turned to search for her captain.

It wasn't difficult to find Quinn. Like every day she was near the bleachers talking with Rachel. By now the shorter brunette's attendance at their practice was practically expected and all the Cheerios had been smart enough to not question it, they had simply took it in stride like Brittany's and hers relationship finally becoming official.

Santana watched Quinn and Rachel talk, unsure about disturbing them or not. This wasn't an emergency no matter how worried she was for her girlfriend. Three years under Coach Sylvester's thumb had allowed Santana to know her pretty well and it was clear that whatever the woman was up to wouldn't happen right now. With a last glance to her two friends the Latina decided to leave them alone and just talk with her Captain later.

Decision made, Santana began to make her way to the locker room, trying to figure out what Coach Sylvester was up to. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice Finn in the hallway until he spoke, startling her.

"You can't tell anyone we had sex." He said right away walking over to her, stopping almost too close. Still clad in his football gear, the helmet under his arm, he made for a pretty imposing figure, easily towering over the Latina.

Santana glared up at him, not intimidated by his attitude. "Why can't I? Embarrassed you lasted only a minute?" Santana snarled, narrowing her eyes at his presumption he could tell her what to do. She really didn't want to speak to Finn now.

"Hey, that's not true!" Finn complained, glaring back at the Cheerio, for a moment forgetting why he was here.

"Tell this to someone who might believe you, I was there, remember?" Santana smirked and turned to leave only to be stopped by Finn's hand on her shoulder. "Get your paw off me or I'll chop it, Finnept." She growled.

Finn removed his hand, knowing he couldn't push Santana too far without her retaliating and he needed her help to keep what happened between them under wraps. "I'm serious here Santana, you can't say anything about that night."

"Night?!" Santana asked laughing meanly. "Fifteen minutes maybe, and I'm counting eating the burgers after."

Finn glared at her, instinctively taking a step forward. He was about to reply when another voice cut him off.

"Are you lost Finn?" Quinn said coldly, walking up to them. It was pretty obvious he was trying to intimidate Santana and that wouldn't do. He had to be put back in his place. She wasn't already blasting him away only because he was Rachel's boyfriend. "Because this is the Cheerios lockers' entrance, not that of the football team." She informed Finn walking between Santana and him, forcing the quarterback to take a step back and then another. "I think it would be best if you went away." She waited a second and when he didn't move she glared at him, Rachel's boyfriend or not. "That wasn't a suggestion Finn."

"You heard the Captain, Finnocence, go away." Santana reiterated not really wanting to waste time talking to him. She was worried about whatever Coach was planning for her girlfriend and the bumbling idiot was stopping her from speaking to her captain about it.

Not wanting to risk Quinn finding out about he having sex with Santana, he knew he couldn't intimidate the blonde cheerleader to stay silent if that happened, Finn went away, throwing a last glare over his shoulder.

"What was that about?" Quinn asked after he had turned the corner.

"I don't know and I don't care, Q." Santana said tiredly, rubbing her closed eyes, trying to make her impending headache go away. She was angry at his arrogant assumption of telling her what to say or not to say and scared about whatever the Coach was planning for Brittany. "I have better things to worry about than Finnept early arrival problems."

"Yeah?" Quinn asked with an arched eyebrow, easily catching that something was really worrying her friend. "Like Coach sudden interest in B?" She asked gently, softening her tone, guiding Santana back on the now empty field. There would be less of a chance to be over heard there than in the hallway in front of the lockers.

"So I'm not imagining things, you have seen her too?" Quinn nodded, she too had caught Sue interested, too interested really, looks at the taller blonde during practice. "I'm scared, Q." The Latina admitted, after having checked they were really alone in the field. It wouldn't do to show to anyone but her captain that she could be scared and worried like any other people.

"I saw her paying particular attention to B when we were trying jumps." Quinn said.

"Me too." Santana agreed. "And I heard her say to Becky that Britt is the best at landing after a jump. The perfect candidate for her "_attention grabber_" idea." She quoted, letting her walls down.

Quinn saw the raw fear and worry in Santana's brown eyes. Both of them knew that being the perfect candidate for any of the Coach's plan spelled only bad news. "You know what she was talking about?" Quinn asked frowning, she hadn't heard that part.

"I haven't the slightest idea and that worries me even more." Santana admitted, biting her lip. "I mean we have fucking biker stunts in our performances and she has an attention grabber idea?" The Latina huffed out, nervously tousling her own hair. "I'm worried Q."

"I know." Quinn said hugging Santana. "But I'll take care of it S." She promised quietly. They didn't hug often but Quinn had felt the Latina relax in her arms before she let her go. "Don't worry."

"I… thanks Q… it's just… it's Britt you know and I worry."

"I understand S. I'll take care of it. One way or another. Promise." Quinn said looking Santana straight in the eyes. She felt guilty. She had thought the Coach was up to something weeks ago but since she hadn't heard Sue talking about any crazy plan in the last weeks, the woman had been too busy playing the principal, Quinn had stopped trying to figure out what the Coach had been up to. It was obvious she had made a mistake. She would make it right with her second in command. "Now, let's get a shower. I'm sure B likes you better when you don't smell of sweat."

"You do realize that half the time I'm drenched in sweat she is the cause, right?"

"That's bordering on TMI, S." Quinn shot back, happy that her friend felt reassured enough to joke with her.

"That's TMI only because you're still a virgin, Q." Santana teased her friend.

"Whatever."

"Such a clever answer." Quinn stopped and turned to glare at Santana who only smirked, keeping walking. Her girl was waiting for her in the locker room after all.

xxx

Cursing his bad luck Finn made his way to the team's locker room, still grumbling to himself. He was really beginning to think that Quinn's was out to get him. It was getting seriously ridiculous, he had wanted only to talk to Santana alone and persuade her to not talk about what had happened between them last year. But Quinn had to be there and ruin his plan. _"Fucking pain in the ass." _He grumbled to himself, clenching his hands, frustrated behind belief with the blonde cheerleader.

Angry he undressed himself, almost showing his gear in the locker and padded to the shower, already planning on when to talk to Santana again. He didn't have much time to persuade the Latina to keep her mouth shut, sooner or later the brunette would tell everything to Rachel, he was sure of it. After all the unholy trinity kept telling to everyone that they were really friends with Rachel now. He was finally beginning to believe it. The problem was that Finn knew girls liked to gossip. The topic of Santana and him having sex would come out sooner or later. And if Rachel found out he would lose Rachel, the brunette had made that much clear when they had talked yesterday.

_If there was a thing Finn had got out all the talks in the locker room about girlfriends was that if your girl asked you to talk you were in trouble. Every guy agreed on it. So when Rachel had asked him to talk, at her house, on her turf, as Azimio had once put it, Finn knew he was in deep trouble. And after the talk they had had at his mom's wedding he couldn't help but worry she had somehow found out about Santana and him._

"_You lied to me about what happened last year." Rachel said practically out of the blue as soon as Finn had sat down on the couch, confirming his worst fear. This was about that night._

"_Who told you?" The boy asked trying to gain time, hoping he could get away with saying that whoever it was he or she had lied to make them break up. It wouldn't surprise him one bit to find out it had been Quinn. He was sure his ex was out to get him back, no matter what Rachel said about it. God, he knew Rachel making friends with the unholy trinity would bring only trouble._

"_Kurt."_

"_Kurt?!" Finn couldn't even image how his now step brother could know about that night. He sure as hell hadn't told him. They practically didn't even speak outside glee or the dinner table and Kurt wasn't part of the popular kids' circle. And Finn had told about that night only to them. Well, they and the guys on the football team._

"_It doesn't matter who told me, Finn." Rachel said frowning at him._

"_Right." He stammered out, trying to find something to say, knowing he had been wrong to ask about who had done it instead than said he was sorry from the start. He had heard more than one guy of the team discuss about fighting with their girlfriends and the first thing one had to do was say sorry. Finn didn't want to lose Rachel for a thing that happened last year when they had been broken up. "I only lied to not hurt you, Rachel." He finally said, patting himself on the back for the clever reply. "And I'm sorry about it." He added after a moment knowing it couldn't hurt._

"_Well, finding out from someone else you are not my co-captain anymore hurt, Finn. You didn't even tell my Quinn was my Dragon."_

_For a moment Finn felt at a complete loss about what Rachel was talking about. "Oh." He breathed out relieved when he realized she wasn't talking about Santana and he having sex together._

"_Yes, oh." Rachel repeated, clearly misunderstanding the meaning of his utterance. _

"_I'm sorry about that." Finn repeated, not really sure of what to say about that. "I didn't really believe Quinn would take something like that seriously." Finn added, shrugging his shoulders. It was true too. After all in the football team nobody really listened to him even if he was the quarterback. He was sure the same was true for the Cheerios. So what if Quinn was Rachel's second in command? _

"_Well she does." Rachel muttered out. "But I don't want to talk about Quinn." She added not wanting to fight. And really this conversation wasn't about Quinn's role in her life. She was pretty satisfied of it and she hadn't any intention to let Finn unease with the girl ruin it._

_Finn nodded, he too happy to not talk about the blonde cheerleader. At least until Rachel went on, speaking some of the most dreaded words ever in a relationship, "I want to talk about us."_

"_Us?" Alarm bells sounded in Finn's mind. It wasn't ever a good thing when a girl told you needed to talk about _us_. This too had been clear with the conversation with his team mates. Half the times it ended with her leaving you._

"_Yes." Rachel confirmed, looking straight at him. "I need to know Finn: there is something else you lied to me about?"_

"_No." It was out before he really thought about it. Finn paused, uncertain about telling her the truth about Santana. Then he shook his head. There was really no reason to tell her he wasn't a virgin anymore. Not when no later than yesterday he had assured her he was a virgin too, just like her. After all, Finn rationalized, they had talked several times about how much important it was to her that their first experience would be with the other. Rachel had talked about finding things out together and sharing a milestone together and she had sounded so happy about it. It would be cruel to tell her it wouldn't be his first time too. So Finn kept his mouth shut._

"_Good." Rachel said after having studied him for a long moment, clearly satisfied he was telling her the truth. "Because I can't be with someone I can't trust. I just can't be with a person who lies to me, Finn, and you did for months with a straight face. I didn't think you could do something like that." Rachel shook her head, like she still couldn't believe it. Feeling guilty Finn averted his eyes to the floor before raising his gaze when she spoke again after a short silence. "One more lie and our relationship is over Finn." The brunette added softly._

"_I understand Rachel." Finn replied already planning to go speak to Santana as soon as possible. What happened that night had to stay a secret. _

Finn stepped out of the shower much more calm, now that he had had the time to think about the situation some more. He had to speak with Santana again and make her understand that she had to keep her mouth shut for the good of all the people involved. He wasn't asking that much of the Latina just that she kept her mouth shut about what had happened between them. It wasn't unreasonable. After all Santana had made clear she didn't want anything more to do about him and he loved Rachel. It was win-win all around. His relationship with Rachel was on the line and he loved Rachel too much to lose her for a night of sex.

xxx

Rachel was worried. When she had woke up this morning Finn still hadn't answered to her texts from the evening before. It was strange. Finn wasn't the most punctual person about answering texts but this much lateness was unusual even for him.

It reminded Rachel of last year, when he had broken up with her. From one day to the other he had stopped answering promptly to her texts and became distant with her. When they had talked about it Finn had told her she had been a nuisance for the entire time they had been together. Well, Finn hadn't used the word nuisance but the meaning had been the same.

So, the more time passed without Finn texting back the more Rachel got scared she had been once more too overbearing. She thought she had been so careful about it this time, but now she began doubting herself. Maybe she shouldn't have talked with Finn about his lies to her, maybe she had sounded too needy when she had talked about the fact she needed trust in a relationship.

Rachel had spent the rest of her day trying to speak with her boyfriend, without any success.

Every time she tried to talk or spend time with her boyfriend, Finn brushed her off, telling her he had to do something else. When she asked why she was so distant, so worried, he had given her a false smile and told it was a _guy thing_ she had nothing to worry about. And then, as soon as he had said that, Rachel had seen him catch the sight of a brunette Cheerio turning the hallway's corner and he had immediately followed her, throwing an hasty _"see you at glee"_ over his shoulder.

That had really hurt and had made Rachel's worry about them sky-rock. It had made her angry too. Angry enough to not want to be anywhere near Finn.

So now she was sitting in a chair in the first row as far from Finn, and incidentally from Quinn, as possible, lost in rather depressing thoughts of their relationship coming to an end because she had been once more overbearing with her requests even when she hadn't believed she was.

She had seen the surprise, and maybe even slightly hurt look, Quinn had thrown at her when she had took her old seat and Rachel had promised herself she would explain everything at her friend after Glee.

She owed it to her as her friend and captain and she owed it because Quinn had been the only bright thing in her otherwise miserable day. Even if Rachel was worried and anxious about the well-being of her romantic relationship she couldn't stifle the smile every time she thought back to this morning. It charmed her that Quinn paid enough attention to her to catch when she didn't act like herself. Like this morning.

_For the first time since she had began to show up at Cheerio's practice Rachel wasn't really paying attention. She had been worrying about what to do to fix things between Finn so much so that she didn't notice that practice had ended until Quinn materialized in front of her._

_Scolding herself for her inattention Rachel tried to muster a smile for her friend. Apparently she failed miserably because the first words out of her Quinn's mouth were "Why are you upset?"_

"_It's nothing, I'm fine." Rachel brushed off, scared to seem to needy to Quinn too on top of Finn._

"_Are you sure?" Quinn asked stepping closer and looking at her attentively. _

_Rachel tried to not fidget under the scrutiny but she couldn't help but avoid those piercing hazel eyes. "I'm just feeling a bit off today, but thanks for caring. I appreciate it."_

"_Alright." The arched eyebrow and skeptical look the blonde shot her made clear that the blonde didn't quite believe her. "But if nothing becomes something, you know you can come to me for help, right?"_

"_I know." Rachel replied smiling. Quinn's selfless offer made her feel cherished in a way she had never felt before. _

So, Quinn aside, it had been really a miserable day and Rachel's mood was getting steadily worse with every confused, vaguely hurt looks Finn was throwing at her and with every dark scenarios her mind kept conjuring on how the boy would break up with her because he had finally had enough of her. Of him telling her she had been already replaced with a more beautiful and willing Cheerio.

So when Mr. Shue announced she wouldn't have a solo and that Quinn and Sam would have the duet, implicitly telling she wasn't good enough even as a singer anymore, she reacted without thinking, scared by what was happening.

"Ken and Barbie?!" Rachel burst out. "Are you trying to throw this?" It took a moment to realize what she had said. Appalled by her own words she rushed to apologize, only to see her friend had turned her head so to not see her. "I'm sorry Quinn that came out wrong. Completely wrong."

But the blonde didn't turn to face her, she just nodded curtly. The tension in her jaw and the dropped shoulders were all the indications Rachel needed to know Quinn was hurt, maybe even angry, and whatever damage she had done it would take more than her lame apology to repair.

And from the thunderous look on Santana's face, Quinn wasn't the only one she had to make amend to.

Rachel swallowed and turned to face Mr Shue, not really listening to anything he was saying. She caught bits and pieces and even if his ideas didn't make any sense, one didn't change songs, singers and routines, so near to competition, she didn't care. She only wanted the rehearsal to end so she could talk properly to Quinn, because seeing the blonde avoid meeting her gaze hurt more than the cold shoulder Finn had been giving her all day long. She had to do something to make this right.

So, as soon as Mr Shue wrapped up the rehearsal, Rachel shot up, wanting to talk to Quinn before she left.

And hand on her shoulder stopped her before she could take a single step. Rachel wasn't all that surprise do find out it was Santana's. The brunette looked angry, but strangely enough more disappointed than murderous.

"You hurt my Captain." Santana ground out. "Who do you think you are?"

"A big, ungrateful jerk." Rachel said quietly looking straight in the Latina's eyes, showing her she was telling the truth. "I just want to apologize to her, Santana." She added softly, pleadingly. She knew she would have to go through the taller brunette before she could speak to Quinn.

Santana studied her warily, before nodding once like she had reached some sort of conclusion. "You have to be careful with her, Rachel." It was the first time that the brunette called her by name. It startled Rachel in listening carefully to what she was saying even if she wanted desperately to go talk with Quinn right now. "She can seem sort of invulnerable, bigger than life and all that shit but there is a rather vulnerable girl under all that. You hurt her bad with that little comment of yours, Streisand."

Rachel was about to reply when Finn practically materialized at her side, wrapping an arm around her waist and grinning at her for the first time in the day. He dropped a quick kiss on her cheek before raising his head and shooting a glare to Santana whom just rolled her eyes not impressed.

"Hey Rach, I missed you today, babe." Rachel looked up at Finn confused by his sudden presence and attention. "What do you say? Wanna spend some time with me? My house is free this afternoon." He asked pouring all his charm in his smile, silently praying that Rachel would say yes. He couldn't risk her spending any time talking to Santana. Especially an angry Santana who was notoriously rather unpredictable.

"Finnept we were talking." Santana said not too gently.

"Yeah?" Finn shot back narrowing his eyes at the Latina, instinctively tightening his arm around Rachel's waist. "Well, I just wanna spend time with my babe, it's a crime?"

"If I'm talking to _your_ _babe_," Santana stressed, trying to not look disgusted by his show of ownership "then yes."

"Hey back off. You don't get to tell me what to do."

Santana glared back, ready to tear into him for his abysmal timing, when Rachel spoke up sidetracking her.

"Finn, I thank you for your offer, but I have other things to do." Rachel said, not paying attention to him, quickly extricating herself from his half hug to go after Quinn, who had just left the choir room from the other door as they were talking.

She didn't notice his puzzled look or Santana's shit eating grin, too worried with following the blonde to throw a single glance back at them.

Once in the hallway Rachel saw Quinn duck in a bathroom and followed her there, not bothering to call out to her.

When Rachel stepped in the room she found the blonde at one of the sinks, the water running and Quinn furiously washing her face. With a quick glance around the brunette made sure they were alone.

Rachel went to get a couple of paper towel and handed them to Quinn, whom took them without even glancing in her direction, just muttering a muffled thanks.

"Quinn, look at me." Rachel pleaded when the girl kept hiding her face, putting an hesitant hand on the blonde's shoulder hoping it would make Quinn turn around. She didn't want to talk to the blonde's back.

For a long moment Quinn just kept drying her face before throwing away the towels and looking at Rachel in the mirror, obviously not ready to truly face her.

"I didn't mean what I said." The brunette apologized locking her eyes with Quinn's from over the blonde's shoulder.

"You did Rachel." Quinn said with a bitter smile. "Hell, I don't even blame you. The only singing competition I ever won was because you had fixed the odds for me."

Quinn's words confirmed that Santana had been right. She had hurt her friend deeply and totally thoughtlessly. "I'm sorry I hurt you." Rachel said quietly.

"It's ok." Quinn said shrugging, even if it was clear it wasn't. "I know you are the better singer, I just would have appreciated if you put it in another way."

"Hey." Rachel said using her hands to turn Quinn so that she would face her. "It's me that is sorry. I made a mess of things. You know I panic when I think I'm not good enough singer?" Quinn nodded. She remembered all too well how Rachel had panicked when Sunshine had wanted to join Glee. "I had a really shitty day and when Mr Shue told he had replace me I panicked, Quinn, pure and simple. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm sorry for that." Rachel apologized again taking Quinn's hands in her own and squeezing them. "I'm a shitty Captain, mm?" She added with a wink after she felt Quinn squeeze back. "Thinking of me losing a solo and a duet instead than the valorization of a very precious but usually overlooked teammate."

"Let's just say you can get better." The blonde retorted.

"Hey!" Rachel said mock affronted, but she couldn't help but smile. Quinn smiled back and they stood hand in hand like that for a moment, smiling happily.

"You ok?" Quinn asked after a while, reluctantly letting Rachel's hands go after another squeeze.

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked, frankly puzzled by the blonde's words.

"You shitty day." Quinn elaborated, quirking an eyebrow.

Rachel nodded, getting what the blonde was talking about. "We are still friends?"

"Of course."

"You still my Dragon?" Rachel inquired the beginning of a smile turning the corner of her lips.

"You're still my Captain, aren't you?" Quinn asked back, smirking.

"Then I'm perfect." Rachel beamed at the blonde. "Want to go get a coffee? We need to talk about what song you and Sam will sing at sectionals. I think I have the perfect idea for you two."

"Of course, Rach." Quinn agreed meekly, following the brunette out of the bathroom.

"Are you dissing me?" Rachel asked turning to face the blonde.

"I would never diss my Captain." Quinn replied so innocently that Rachel couldn't help but snort at her lie.

xxx

**So, I have chapter 8 already done but I'll post it next Saturday (my time) because I'm mean. Well, to tell the truth it's to give me a bit of a lead after months of playing catch up…**

**Next chapter is about sectionals (for real this time), how Quinn'll deal with Sue's plan about Britt and Finn still trying to persuade Santana to keep their "secret"... and quite a bit of Faberry too.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for all your reviews I loved them, I'm happy you like where the story is going and find it funny. I really appreciate the time you take to leave feedback.**

**Some general comment: Yes, Finn is an idiot and in this chapter Quinn has even an idea on how to help him to jumpstart his brain (you'll like it).**

**Captain and Dragons are almost military titles. I'm even working on "the flipped side of Captain and Dragons" where they are really titles (just not military ones…). There is a supernatural twit in that story and a singular way of courting a possible loved one.**

**Ok here's is the chapter. And it's even Tuesday (wrong one but it's the thought that count, right?) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

**Chapter 8**

_Dragons sacrifices themselves for their Captain, and Captains sacrifices themselves for the team_

xxx

"Now I've," Sam sang taking Quinn by hand and pulling her closer to him, until they were half hugging.

"I've" Quinn chorused putting an hand on his chest, looking up into his green eyes.

"Had the time of my life." They harmonized smiling to each other, finishing the song.

"Beautifully done guys. Let's take a five minute breather, alright?" Rachel proposed, clapping her hands at their performance.

"Sure thing Rach." Quinn acknowledged, stepping away from Sam and heading straight for the chairs on the raisers. It was their first break in over half an hour and only the third since practice began more than two hours ago.

After her uncalled for outburst about Sam and she doing the duet, and their talk in the bathroom, Rachel had apparently decided to make it up to them offering them her service as a vocal coach slash choreographer. Sam had really appreciated Rachel apologizing and he had took her up to her offer quite readily.

Quinn doubted Sam had realized what he had signed them up for. Probably the quarterback hadn't paid much attention to the rehearsals lead by Rachel but Quinn knew that the only significant difference between Sylvester's and Rachel's coaching styles was the absence of free verbal abuse in the latter. The thought had even made her decided to do everything possible to avoid making the two of them ever collaborate.

Sam dropped rather gracelessly on the chair next to Quinn, he too practically exhausted. The two blondes exchanged a tired smile in silence, just trying to catch their breath.

Rachel was a very demanding Coach but she had the talent to back it up. More than once she had took Sam's or Quinn's place while practicing to show them what she meant when she gave directions, effortlessly performing both roles singing and dancing like she had prepared for them all her life. The blonde had found incredible how Rachel could change when she was performing a certain role. She had even had to make a note to herself to never say to Sam that Rachel made a far better leading man than him.

"I'm really grateful Rachel helped us to choose the song." Quinn only smirked at the boy's words. Rachel hadn't helped them, she had chosen for them, but she liked how Sam was putting it. It made it look like they had had a choice somewhere in the process. "Even more grateful that she has been helping us learning the song and the routine." And it was true, Sam appreciated all the help Rachel had given them. The brunette had helped him to understand that he had to act the song, not only sing it. It really made a difference in the performance. "But you know what?"

"No, what?"

"As flattered as I am for the chance to shine, if Mr Shue chooses me again as a lead I'll turn him down." Sam said quite seriously.

"The big bad quarterback is getting scared of having a five foot two powerhouse as a coach?" Quinn inquired smirking some more.

Sam nodded solemnly. He liked Rachel, really, but the girl was so damn intense he sometimes wondered how Quinn could keep up with her. The brunette had had the two of them practice for hours to no end and at the end of the rehearsal she had looked ready to start again.

Sam knew he had learned a lot in these three days, more than Mr. Shue had taught him in the previous months, but he was ready to quit. "You think she'll let us go before seven?"

"Honestly?" Sam nodded. "No."

"Sandy'll kill me if I'm late." He sighed letting his head fall in both hands with a groan.

"Date night?" Quinn asked with a sympathetic look at Sam. In these weeks they had struck up an easy friendship they both were very happy about.

"Yeah." Came the muffled reply.

"Alright." Quinn said after a moment, having formulated a plan. It would only imply to speed things up a bit. "I'll distract her. You try to get to the door and run." She added with an amused smirk as she got up from her chair.

"I owe you one Quinn." Sam raised his head, smiling brightly.

"I'll make sure to cash it in someday." She patted him on the shoulder and walked over to the piano where the tiny diva was going over their routine once more. Quinn could see her singing without making any sound and writing notes on how to act out a line or another. "Hey Rach?"

"Yes Quinn?" The brunette asked not raising her head from the pages she was studying. The taller girl could just make out the note about how she would walk on the stage after Sam's opening lines, bashful but pleased with his words.

"Do you have anything planned for tonight?" When Rachel shook her head Quinn frowned a bit even if it would make her plan easier. But it nagged at her, it was Friday after all, and usually couples had dates on the evening. She made a note to herself to ask if everything was alright with Finn. "I found a great vegan restaurant about half way between Lima and Columbus." Quinn informed her leaning on the piano so to block the sight of the door from Rachel's position, she could hear Sam leave the room.

"Really?" The brunette asked, intrigued enough to raise her head this time. Her diet meant she rarely could try a new restaurant without ending up eating the usual salad.

"Yeah, it's an Italian restaurant too." Quinn had learned Rachel liked Italian cuisine on her second dinner at the Berry's, when her dad had cooked lasagna. The look on Rachel's face at seeing her favorite dish had been priceless. "What do you think, wanna go to check it out with me tonight?"

"But to get there for dinner time and come back for my curfew we should leave right now." Rachel looking at her watch and frowning at the hour. "And even if you both made great strides toward perfection, Sam and you could always use some more practice."

"True, but we could always practicing some more on the way to the competition." Quinn tried to persuade her. "Please?" She added with a sweet smile when she saw Rachel was about to give in.

"Alright." The brunette agreed, letting herself be persuaded. "Where is Sam?" Rachel asked looking around the room, not seeing him.

"Don't worry about him." Quinn said with a impish smile and a shrug, taking a step back to leave the other girl space to get up from the bench.

"He already fled didn't he?" Rachel asked pouting. "I'm being too bossy, aren't I?"

"No you aren't being _too_ bossy." Quinn reassured with a smile. "He simply has a date with Sandy tonight and didn't want to be late."

"So you invited me to dinner only to end practice so Sam wouldn't be late for his date." Rachel asked, trying to make it sound like a joke but the flash of sadness in her eyes gave her away.

"No, I invited you because I like to spend time with you, Rach." Quinn said helping the brunette to gather up her things. For a person so organized the smaller girl was prone to scatter her things around all the room. "I'm just lucky you didn't have previous plans with Finn." She couldn't quite get why the tall boy hadn't already made plans with Rachel for the night especially since the brunette had an extended curfew on Fridays. In Quinn's opinion it only confirmed how much of an idiot he was.

"Yeah?" Rachel asked evidently pleased even if she tried to hide it too. Quinn had found early on that her eyes always gave the brunette away. And the brown orbs practically glowed with joy right now.

"Yeah." Quinn agreed, quite naturally shouldering Rachel's backpack, patiently waiting for Rachel to finish gathering the last of her music sheets spread on the piano. "Now hurry up, I'm hungry and you should be too since you spent all your afternoon coaching Sam and me."

"Shouldn't I be the one ordering you around since I'm the Captain?" Rachel asked following Quinn out of the choir room in the desert hallways their steps echoing sinisterly. Given the hour they were probably the last one in the school, but with Quinn walking with her Rachel didn't feel quite so frightened by it.

"You got a better plan for tonight?" The blonde inquired with an arched eyebrow when they reached her red beetle.

"No." The brunette admitted opening the passenger side door while Quinn put her backpack in the trunk before getting in the car.

"Then I'm the one in charge for tonight." The blonde said with a smile before turning on the engine and maneuvering out of the parking lot.

"So Sam and Sandy relationship is going well." Rachel commented after having chosen what she deemed the right music for their trip from Quinn's iPod.

"Yes, things are going pretty well between them." Quinn replied, happy for them. "Their relationship is becoming pretty serious, too. They both seem taken by it."

"Yeah?" Rachel inquired.

"Well, if you consider I heard all about how well it was going from Sam over coffee the other day and the following one Sandy thanked me for setting up their first date, because, and I'm quoting here _"Sam is such a dreamboat."_" Quinn explained with an amused smirk "and keep in mind that Sandy is pretty shy around me with her being a Cheerio and an underclassman."

"She said that?!"

"Yeah, I was surprised too. She is a Cheerio. She should know better than go around thanking people." She deadpanned.

"Quinn!" Rachel scolded mock outraged, lightly swatting her friend's arm.

"To tell the truth I'm more surprised you aren't on a date with Finn tonight. I mean is Friday and there isn't a party…" Quinn said much more seriously. She had noticed how Rachel was spending less and less time with Finn lately.

"He didn't ask me and I didn't feel like asking him."

"Is everything alright?" The blonde was really concerned about the put out tone of the smaller girl.

"As far as I know yes, but this week Finn as been really distracted, like he is worried about something but every time I ask him about it he tells me everything is alright." Rachel shrugged her shoulders like it didn't matter, but Quinn could hear the confusion, almost hurt in her tone that showed otherwise.

"I'm sure it's nothing." The blonde tried to reassure Rachel putting an hand on her tight to show her support, even if she didn't really know one way or the other. Quinn wasn't all that fond of Finn, dating him had her realize his all American boy charm was pretty much only a front that hide how shallow and close minded he was. More than once she had dreamed to bash his head against a wall, just to see if the kinetic force of the impact would jumpstart his two neurons and give him a semblance of intelligence, but he seemed to make Rachel happy more often than not so she had never tried.

"Maybe." The brunette replied unconvinced even as she covered Quinn's hand with hers giving it a slight squeeze. Rachel flashed a sad smile to her friend before turning to look outside her window.

The roads were good and the traffic minimal so they made a good time. They drove in a comfortable silence broken only by the music, the blonde's hand resting on Rachel's tight, her fingers casually interlaced with smaller ones. Quinn had found out, much to her surprise, that sometime Rachel could get really quiet. The first time it had happened the taller girl had been worried she had somehow made Rachel uncomfortable but when asked the brunette had explained she had just been deep in thought.

The restaurant was pretty out of the way from the principal road but the number of cars in the parking lot told Rachel it had a large clientele. And that just didn't happened with bad restaurants.

"It's a great place Quinn." Rachel observed with a smile once they were inside after they were quickly ushered to their reserved table by the middle aged host.

"I'm happy you like it." Quinn smiled arranging the napkin on her lap.

"So, you already ate here?" Rachel asked still looking around them, taking everything in, from the décor to the other patrons to the staff. To her relief the restaurant turned out elegant without being too stuffy for two teenager.

Quinn nodded, picking up one of the menu their waiter had left after having introduced himself. "So what do you recommend for me?"

"Are you really asking me to choose what you'll eat?" Quinn inquired with her signature arched eyebrow. It was really un-Rachel like letting others make her decisions.

"Sure. I trust you. And you're the boss tonight." Rachel added winking.

"Ok." Quinn agreed with a charmed smile, looking down at the menu. "What do you think about the gnocchi with basil tomato sauce?"

"They are vegan?" Rachel asked, never having eaten them.

Quinn nodded. "I asked last time I was here. They are if you don't put grated cheese on them."

"Great." The brunette agreed excited to try something new. "And for you?"

"For me it's the ravioli ricotta cheese and spinach with basil tomato sauce and lots of grated cheese." Quinn informed Rachel, making a sign to the waiter as she put her menu down on the table.

"So do you really think Sam and I are ready?" Quinn asked once they had placed their orders to the waiter. She was trying for nonchalance but she really was worried about her duet. She didn't want to be the reason the New Directions wouldn't win sectionals.

"Yes." Rachel replied beaming a proud smile. "You two are all set up."

"I never took the time to thank you for your help." Quinn admitted biting her lower lip for a moment before going on. "I know it's hard for you to just sway in the background."

Rachel looked down at the table. "It's hard." She admitted playing nervously with her glass.

"I'm sorry Mr Shue did this to you." Quinn said reaching out to touch Rachel's fidgeting hand, halting it. "But it had nothing to do with you, do you realize that?" She asked concerned by the fact her friend seemed almost ashamed every time she tried to talk about it. Yes, Rachel had really made an effort to change her attitude after Mr Shue's decision but it had been obvious to the blonde that Rachel was still sad and hurt by the sudden changes. During rehearsals the brunette put up a strong front, going from group to group to help them, but sometime Quinn could see the self doubt in Rachel's eyes.

"You sure?" The brunette asked in a timid voice not quite meeting her friend's gaze.

"I am Rachel." Quinn said with a reassuring smile. "You know better than me that half the time the decisions Mr Shue makes about our song choices have nothing to do with music or trying to win the next competition and more to do about our group dynamics. He probably wants Sam to feel included. Or maybe he finally realized that if he doesn't give Santana, and especially Brittany, at least a bit of spotlight she will kill him in his sleep with her famous razor blades… and I don't really blame him." Quinn added smiling at Rachel, who involuntarily smiled back. "Santana can be scary…"

The brunette laughed at the image of the Latina running after Mr Shue with razor blades in her hands, the man pleading for his life as he tried to hide behind his leather bag. "Are you sure it's only half of the decisions?" She asked once her laughter slowed.

"Yes, because I know the other half depends on things Miss Pillsbury says to him." Quinn deadpanned, with a totally serious look on her face. "Really, we should just have her as our director and cut the middle man."

This cracked Rachel up. She laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes. It was true, Mr Shue carried a torch of Olympic dimension for the woman. "Thanks, I needed that." She said, already feeling better.

"You're welcome." Quinn replied just as the waiter brought them their plates. "Now eat." She mock ordered once the man left.

"Yes boss." Rachel agreed half saluting. Quinn simply shook her head smiling. It was fun joking around with Rachel.

The food was so delicious that for the next five minute they concentrated on eating more than talking.

"This gnocchi is to die for." Rachel said when she finally come up for air.

"The ravioli too. I'm just sorry you can't eat them."

"Don't worry about it, Quinn. I'm satisfied with my gnocchi." Rachel said waving a hand before taking another forkful of pasta. "I noticed Santana is rather tense lately…"

"Yeah, remember when I told you Coach had something up her sleeve she wouldn't tell me anything about?" Rachel nodded, she remembered that day in the auditorium. "Well, it seems it has something to do with Brittany. You can image how S is taking it." Quinn explained.

"Do you know what Coach Sylvester is planning to do?"

"From what I could piece together she wants to shot B out of a cannon."

"WHAT?" Rachel shrieked out. Seeing practically all the patrons turning to look at them, curious about what had unleashed such an reaction she lowered drastically her voice. Sometimes she forgot just how powerful it could be. "That's insane."

"And it surprises you because?" Quinn inquired mildly after having swallowed another mouth watering forkful of ravioli.

"I don't really know at this point." Rachel admitted since they were talking about Sue Sylvester and the Cheerleading Coach had pulled some really off the wall ideas before. "That woman _is_ crazy, I just didn't think she was _this_ crazy."

"Yeah."

"So do you already have a plan?" Rachel knew her friend wouldn't allow Coach Sylvester to shot Brittany out of a frigging cannon.

"Aside from the one where I hope Sue'll see reason and change idea all by herself?" Quinn asked, after having wiped her mouth.

"Yes, aside from the really nice but unrealizable ones." Rachel replied with a smile taking a sip of water.

"I have an idea, but I don't know if it'll work, to be honest. The problem is this situation is a little bit tricky." Quinn began to explain after taking a sip of water. "She is dead set about having cannons in her show and the budget cuts at the beginning of the year meant she couldn't have her confetti cannons."

"But she can afford an human shooting one?" Rachel was incredulous.

"Apparently." Quinn hadn't dwelled on it all that much. Coach Sylvester was a very resourceful woman and the school budget wasn't the only way to get money she had. "From Coach Sylvester's point of view the bigger the cannon, the better. And no one else has even thought about shooting someone as part of a routine before. It would be a first."

"I believe it, since it's crazy." Rachel mumbled, making sign to Quinn to go on since the blonde had stopped talking at her comment.

"Fact is that shooting people out of those things is dangerous." This time Quinn went on, ignoring the _no shit_ look on Rachel's face. "But the important thing isn't how dangerous, it's that is forbidden."

"Forbidden?"

"Yes. There are rules for Cheerleading's competition too, Rachel, not only for the show choir's."

"And you know the cheerleader competition guidelines." The brunette said smiling.

"Just like I'm sure you know the show choir competition rules." Quinn replied. "So, the plan is simple: I'll denounce Coach Sylvester's idea anonymously to the cheerleading society. The use of the cannon goes against an half dozen of their rules. To stay on the safe I think I'll let the principal on Sue's plan too because I'm sure Coach can't endanger her students so blatantly..."

"It seems a good plan." Rachel admitted thoughtfully.

"Why, thank you for your seal of approval Captain Berry." Quinn teased.

"Everything for my Dragon." Rachel teased back.

xxx

"So, here we are." Sam said pacing nervously, every so often glancing through the curtains to see if the Warblers had ended their performance. Sectionals had come much more quickly that he had expected and even with all the rehearsals they had done he was anxious about tonight.

"Here we are." Quinn repeated rocking slightly on her heels. She too was nervous but not nearly as much as Sam. To tell the truth she thought the reason the football player was almost a wreck was because Sandy was in the audience more than the fact it was his first performance.

"You ready?" Rachel asked appearing from the side hallway that lead to the backstage making them turn around.

"You shouldn't be here Rach." Quinn said, but couldn't help but smile.

"I wanted to see if you two are ready to amaze the judges and the audience, where else should I be?"

"We are fine." Quinn assured even if she found cute that Rachel had come to check up on them after having seen them only ten minutes before in the green room. She studied the girl for a moment, realizing there was something different in her. It was easy to figure out, Rachel's usual pre-how excitement lacked the usual edge, that kind of euphoria like a dream was becoming just little more true, "Can you give us a minute Sam?"

"Sure." The boy agreed walking to the other opening in the curtains, far enough to not overhear them, not resisting the urge to look once again to the Warblers' performance.

"Something the matter Quinn?" Rachel asked with a worried frown, puzzled by her friend's actions.

"No. It's all perfect." Quinn reassured with a smile. "Do you want my place in the duet Rachel?" She asked locking her eyes in Rachel's.

"Why?" The brunette asked as a look of horror crossed her face. "Did you injure yourself? It's your voice? God, it's your voice alright?" Rachel said almost panicked, thinking the worst. "If your throat is giving you problems I have my special tea in the green room, it'll do miracles."

"I'm fine Rach." Quinn reassured with a smile. "I just see how uneasy it makes you to not be in the spotlight. So I'm offering you mine, ok? You know the song as well as me and you're way better than me. And I really don't care if all I do is swaying in the background."

For a moment Rachel didn't say anything just looking at Quinn in wonder, like she had never seen her before, "I think this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Ok." Quinn agreed, taking charge. They didn't have much time before they had to be in scene. "Just let me tell Sam and we are all set."

"No." Rachel said grasping Quinn's hand to stop her.

"No?" The blonde asked, sure to have misheard.

"No." Rachel repeated the sweetest of smiles on her lips. "This is your song Quinn, the one you have worked so many hours to get it right. I'll get the next solo." She said squeezing the hand grasped in hers. "And the duet too." She added with a playful wink.

"Sure?"

"Sure. It's your time to shine." Rachel hugged Quinn. "You don't know what it means to me you have offered." She whispered in the blonde's ear before stepping back when she saw Sam walking back. "It's almost time." She said in her normal tone when the applause from the hall told them the Warblers had finally ended their second song. One more and it would be their turn to get on stage.

"Yeah. Wish us luck?" Sam asked with a smile. During the duet rehearsal he had take a shine to the little brunette. She had turned out to be much more fun and a lot less nagging that he had feared after Finn's descriptions of her. Rachel seemed even able to make Quinn slightly less intimidating.

"In theatre one says break a leg." Rachel beamed at the two of them, practically radiating confidence. "But you won't need it."

"You have to go." Quinn said with a soft smile on her face even if she didn't want her friend to leave.

"You're right." Rachel agreed, she turned to leave but hesitated, locking her eyes in Quinn's one last time before smiling again. She left with a new spring in her step.

xxx

Santana had been pacing in the backstage, trying to calm her nerves. In a couple of minutes they had to go on stage and after the duet and the group number it would be time of her solo. She hadn't ever thought she would find herself scared of fucking the song up. It wasn't like she lacked confidence. She had even managed to calm down a bit at least until she found Finn standing in her way.

"What do you want Franketeen!" Santana growled. Apparently being nervous made her cranky. Well, crankier. The Latina doubted it would really surprise anyone.

"Talk to you." He said with a shrug. Knowing that Rachel had gone to wish Quinn and Sam luck, Finn had decided to seize the moment and make the most of the fact that Santana was finally alone.

"I'm busy." She said resuming her pacing only to be stopped by a grip on her wrist. "Keep your paws off me!" Santana snarled removing the offending hand, digging her nails in the flesh for a good measure.

"Damn it Santana!" The tall boy cursed, withdrawing his hand and shaking it to try to make the pain go away. "It's the whole fucking week I try to talk to you!"

"Maybe that was your clue that I have nothing to say to you." Santana sneered back.

If this was still about their night together last year she didn't want to hear it. That night had been a mistake. Santana really didn't want to drag it up in any way or form even if she still remembered it like it was yesterday. God, how stupid she had been.

It had been a Friday night like an hundred others but it had been so different. Brittany had come to her house to prepare for a date with a jock, like she always did and Santana had been left sitting at home alone, watching her leave with the nameless meathead. And for the first time seeing her friend kiss another's cheek and get in his car instead the hers had bothered her. Santana had felt so messed up she had ended calling Finn, knowing he had dumped Rachel and wasn't seeing anyone, to try to make that alone feeling go away. The rest, well the rest wasn't important. The only thing that mattered was that after she had felt even more alone.

"Listen." Finn said taking a deep breath, trying to calm down. The more this talk was put off the more he grew afraid the secret would come out. Rachel had told him she was getting closer to be ready and he feared that she would talk about it with Quinn and the blonde with Santana. "If you don't want to talk to me after this it's alright, I really don't care one way or the other." Seeing that this approach was working better, at least the Latina wasn't trying to leave again or hurting him, Finn went on. "I only need a favor, ok?"

"What?" Santana asked, hoping to get rid of the boy.

"If Rachel ever asks you about last spring you have to tell her we didn't sleep together."

There was a moment of silence.

"I won't lie to her Finnpet." Santana bit out, narrowing her eyes, beginning to get pissed off. "She is my friend."

"Yeah like I believe that shit." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"I don't really care if you believe or not, Frankenteen." Santana informed him with a shrug. "It's true. And I don't lie to my friends."

"She doesn't know Santana." He tried to reason with her. "And she doesn't need to."

"Why?" The Latina asked. "I just don't understand why you're suddenly fixated on that night, which, I remind you has never been a secret thanks to your babbling around. Why it needs to suddenly be a secret?"

"You wouldn't understand." Finn huffed.

"Try me."

"Rachel wants us to share our "_first_" first time together. She wants her first time to be special and I want to give her that, because having sex with someone means something for her." Finn said running a hand through his hair, messing them up. "Not like for you."

"You can't keep something like this from her." Santana replied, trying to ignore the fact he had just practically called her a slut. It hurt but she wouldn't let him have the satisfaction to know it, especially because he had said it so casually, like it was just a well known fact.

"Well then, do you really want to be the one to hurt Rachel by telling her?" Finn provoked her. "Tell her she won't have a special first time because I have already been with you? I bet you miss hurting her." He push some more.

Santana flinched like he had slapped her.

"Fuck you Finn." She said almost quietly, "now, I would gladly beat the shit out of you for that little comment but we need to go on stage in less than two minutes and I won't let you ruin our chance at winning." She informed him in the same quiet, intense tone. "But after this? All bets are off. You are dead to me." Then she turned on her heels and left.

Finn watched her go, feeling a pang of guilty for his low blow before he shook it, making his way to the other stage door. Santana was the last person he had to persuade to keep her mouth shut. He had spent good part of his week talking to his friends and his teammates. Finn told them if it come out he had been with Santana he would lose his chance with Rachel. It had been enough to persuade them to not say anything to Rachel. They had laughed and told him they wouldn't make him lose his chance to finally "tap" that. He hadn't liked they had put it that way but hadn't said anything.

What neither Finn nor Santana noticed was Rachel standing just behind the corner for much of their talk.

xxx

She had done it. She had walked on the stage and played her, small, role to perfection, even if all she had wanted to do was to go and give a piece of her mind to Finn after what she had overheard.

Rachel was sure that being able to perform at her best no matter what happened in her life, like the fact her boyfriend had apparently brazenly lied to her face and tried to get one of her friends to lie too, would come handy sooner or later in her life. That and she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize New Directions' chances of victory and she was pretty sure her talk with Finn would end up in a big row.

Nor she wanted to ruin Quinn's night to shine. Especially not after what the blonde had been ready to do for her. So Rachel had bit her lip and decided to postpone any confrontation with her soon to be ex-boyfriend. So she had bade her time. She wasn't a patient person by any standard but she was stubborn.

Quinn had been the only one to notice anything was off with her once the last song had ended. It had happened as soon as they had shared a look in the back stage.

In an instant all the happiness in the blonde's face had vanished replaced with concern for her. A raised eyebrow in question was all she had needed to ask what was wrong. Rachel had simply shook her head and mouthed to her "later", as her anger towards Finn grew even more since now he had ruined Quinn's night other then hers.

Time seemed to slow strangely after that.

The New Directions were called back on stage and proclaimed as the victor.

The Warblers politely shook hands with them, in a show of sportsmanship then her teammates began celebrating, practically jumping around with joy, exchanging hugs and pats on the back. Puck took the trophy from Shue's hands and lifted it for the clapping audience to see.

Rachel too got hugged by Sam and Sunshine and Kurt. Santana hugged her a little tighter and a little longer than them, "We need to talk," she said letting her go. Rachel only nodded.

Then it was over and they were backstage, finally alone and time went back to normal.

With a last deep breath, needed more to control her anger than to steady her nerves, Rachel calmly walked up to Finn who had just exchanged high fives with Puck before the mohawked boy. She reached them just as Noah left to go to celebrate with Sunshine. The two of them weren't officially dating but Rachel knew Puck enough to know he was seriously attracted by the small girl. She looked at them for another moment before calling out Finn's name.

When the tall boy turned to look at her, an huge grin on his face, Rachel said simply, "we are done."

"What are you talking about Rachel?" The quarterback asked, confused, his smile slowly fading when he caught a good look at her face. He knew her enough to recognize she was angry, furious even. In all their fight she had never looked so livid.

"We are done." It was getting repetitive and Rachel found her tone getting angrier. "You lied about Santana and you. We are done."

Rachel saw the moment Finn understood she was talking about their relationship.

His reaction startled her.

"You fucking bitch!" Finn shouted running over to Santana, almost knocking Rachel down in his haste to reach the Latina. "I knew it was all a fucking trick." The quarterback kept shouting. "I saw you talking to her on the stage!"

Quinn was the first to recover from the shock since she had been keeping an eye on Rachel after having noticed her strange mood. She made a quick sign to Sam to follow her as she walked over to Finn and Santana. She didn't know what was happening but she didn't have any intention to make it escalate more.

"I didn't do anything you fucking prick." Santana shouted right back.

"And now Rachel just broke up with me!" Finn accused shoving her. "Are you happy to have hurt her?! Mmm?! Are you?!" It was enough to make Santana snap and hit him with a well placed punch.

"Enough!" Quinn said raising her voice, quickly stepping between the two to hold Santana back as Sam forced Finn to step back helped by Mike.

"What the hell got in you Finn?" The head cheerleader demanded once she was sure Santana was safely in Brittany's arms, and from the look of it the Latina didn't seem to want to leave her girlfriend's embrace. Even if she had been the one to throw the first punch Santana seemed more hurt than angry, letting Quinn know that whatever this was it was Finn's problem, not Santana's.

"It's all Santana's fault." Finn seethed, not answering her question, glaring at the Latina as he struggled in Sam's and Mike's hold.

"Leave her alone Finn." Rachel demanded, stepping in front of him now that she had recovered from the surprise. "It wasn't Santana who lied to me, who hurt me." She said. "It was you."

"Rachel, I can explain…" Finn begged stopping his struggling to focus on the brunette. Seeing he had calmed down Sam and Mike released him but stood near just in case.

"There is nothing to explain. I know more than enough after having overheard you talk to Santana before going on stage." She revealed turning on her heel and walking away. "I meant it Finn. We are over."

Quinn used her body to block Finn from following Rachel, "Don't." She warned.

"You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Maybe I don't get to, but Rachel does and you heard her, it's over between you, Finn." Quinn said coldly, throwing him a withering glare. The quarterback studied her for a moment, gauging her seriousness. Whatever he saw on Quinn's face made him give up on following Rachel and turn away. The rest of the New Directions parted as he walked away from the hallway that lead to the back of the building.

Satisfied that the boy wouldn't try anything for now Quinn went to look for Rachel, ignoring completely the others who had begun to whisper between them, obviously commenting on what had just happened. She only exchanged a nod with Brittany who had took Santana to an out of sight corner to talk to her apparently. Her best friend would be alright in Brittany's care.

It didn't take long to catch up with the little diva. Quinn found Rachel in the girl's changing room. Apparently the other choirs had already left the auditorium since she was the only one there.

The brunette had already changed out of her costume and now was busy stowing her dress in her bag. She zipped it and then just stood there, like she didn't quite know what to do now.

"You ok?" Quinn asked softly walking to the smaller girl and taking her in her arms. It broke the blonde's heart to see Rachel so lost.

"No." The brunette admitted beginning to feel tears gather in her eyes, burrowing a bit more in Quinn's comforting warm. "Bring me home?"

"Of course." Quinn replied guiding her away.

xxx

**So, you got a lot of faberry and finally Finchel is broken up. Happy?**

**I won't tell you when I think I'll update next, because every time I give you a date something happens and I can't make it. So I'll just say soon, ok? Because among other things I began a new job (good news for me) which I feared would be crappy. Turns out it is crappy (bad news for me) but I'm bored silly half the time so I have more time to think about what to write (good news for you) but I have less time to actually write them (bad news for you)**

**Next chapter'll be set around the Sue Sylvester's Shuffle. There'll be more faberry and maybe I'll put in a little brittana, too.**


	9. Chapter 9

**As always thanks to everyone who takes time to review. I appreciate it guys, really.**

**Lately Glee isn't making sense to me. I waver between "what the fuck?" for the scenes where there are the graduates (I want to still kill Finn though, this week because of what he said to Sue) and "I already saw this" for the Marley-Kitty scenes. Really, casting the blonde as the cheerleader and the brunette as the loser/leader of glee is **_**so **_**original. The only notable difference is that Marley is taller than Kitty. This means that after only four, five?, episodes I already fear what they'll do to Kitty. And it's not because I like the character, but only because she is the blonde head cheerleader. I'm sympathizing by stereotypes. It's just so wrong. At least there is still fanfiction.**

**So, now that the rant is over let's go to the chapter, alright?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

**Chapter 9**

_Captains support their Dragons_

"Oh God, not another." Santana almost whined plopping down in her chair after having seen Finn preparing himself to sing what she was sure would be another love song to Rachel. "I'm not sure I can't take another pitiful serenade about another chance at love."

"Maybe this time it'll be one of the _our love is destined_ sort." Quinn said dryly, not even looking up from the book she was reading.

"You think he'll ever figure out he is persona non grata to Streisand?"

"Not even if a clue shaped like a two by four slammed him in the head. Repeatedly."

"Well, Streisand sure as hell didn't look a bit impressed by his efforts to romance her." Santana remarked casually, thinking at how Rachel's expression during the songs had changed since Finn had started serenading her every day almost two weeks ago. At first the brunette had been stone faced, even if Santana had seen the sadness in her eyes, then she had shifted to disinterest that had turned quickly in bored disinterest and as two days ago Rachel had reached the downright annoyed stage at the boy's antics. _"Hell, almost all the club is annoyed with Finn by now."_

Santana was sure she heard a mumbled, "and thank God for that," from Quinn before the blonde went on in her normal tone, distracting the Latina from her line of thoughts. "Yesterday, after rehearsal, Rachel told him to never _sing_ to her again." She informed Santana with a meaningful look, looking particularly smug with a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Rachel said that?!" Santana almost couldn't believe it. Everyone knew how Rachel felt about music, so this was as near as _your dead for me_ Rachel would ever get, knowing how dammed polite that girl was. "It seems Finnocence finally fucked up beyond all repair with Rachel." It was Santana who smirked satisfied now.

"Yeah."

The Latina couldn't help but notice how that thought made Quinn relax back in her chair and almost smile, like a big weight was finally off her shoulders. _"Interesting."_ "So do we need to do something about that?" Santana prompted, nodding in the quarterback's direction. Apparently Finn was going over his song one last time, if his moving lips were any indication. Whatever Streisand had told him yesterday, he didn't seem to have got it. Maybe Quinn needed some help to make the boy understand.

"No." Quinn shook her head, pursing her lips. "Rachel asked me to stay out of it because this is between Finn and she."

_The drive back home after they had left the theatre had been really quiet. Quinn had spent most of it alternatively looking at the road and shooting concerned looks to Rachel, whom had sat there without saying anything, just staring out of the her side window, lost in her thoughts._

"_We're here." Quinn said breaking the long silence after having parked in the Berrys' driveway. The lights in the house were turned off and she toyed with the idea of walking the smaller girl to the door and make sure she got safely in her room since her fathers were already asleep. She wanted, no needed, to make sure Rachel was as okay as she could be given the situation._

_Her voice startled Rachel from whatever she was thinking. The brunette jumped in her seat and snapped her head towards Quinn as if she had forgot anyone was there with her. From the slight lost look she gave her, like the smaller girl didn't quite recognize her for a moment, the cheerleader couldn't help but think that was exactly what had happened._

"_Thanks for the ride." Rachel mumbled after a moment, more out of habit than anything else, turning a little more on her seat so to face Quinn._

_It was only then that the blonde saw the tears' tracks on Rachel's cheeks and her puffy eyes. Without thinking Quinn reached over to hug the brunette. "Shh, it'll be alright." She reassured softly tightening her hold when she felt Rachel trembling in her arms._

"_It hurts." The brunette's voice sounded muffled since her face was buried in Quinn's shoulder. She closed her eyes trying to block these feelings. _

"_I know…" Quinn whispered in the brunette's hair, feeling her heart clench at Rachel's sobs, "but it'll get better, I'll help you through it."_

"_Promise?" It was needy but Rachel didn't really care about that right now. _

"_I promise." Came the quiet reassurance._

_As Rachel cried Quinn held her, stroking her back soothingly trying to make the smaller girl feel safe and protected, knowing it would make her feel at least a little better. When she too had ended things with Finn Quinn had spent the rest of that weekend with Santana and Brittany essentially cuddling with her friends and crying her eyes out. And she hadn't even been in love with the boy like she suspected Rachel was, at least somewhat._

_Slowly Rachel calmed down, her sobs dwindling until they stopped. She still felt sad and a bit heartbroken but she finally felt like she could do this, she could get over him, it wasn't the end of the world._

_The brunette didn't know how long she just stood there in Quinn's warm embrace, taking comfort from her friend's calm presence, quietly gathering her strength to face the world once again."Please don't." Rachel asked softly when she felt Quinn slowly getting more and more tense. It wasn't hard to imagine the reason, she could practically hear the blonde plotting Finn's demise in her mind._

"_Don't do what?" Quinn asked just as softly momentarily forgetting about her plans to focus her attention on Rachel, gently running her fingers through the brown locks, smoothing it._

"_Don't take revenge upon Finn on my behalf." Rachel asked, her voice still rough from crying, turning her head just in time to see the flash of anger and stubborn determination flicker on Quinn's face._

"_He hurt you." Quinn said like it explained everything. And to her it did._

"_I know." Rachel admitted even if it hurt only to think that the boy who had promised her to never lie to her had broken his own promise on purpose, no matter how well meaning he thought his reason was. "But this is something between us and I want to resolve it by myself and in my way." The brunette said quietly but strongly. "Please, promise me you won't do anything to him."_

_Quinn locked her eyes with the brunette's, gauging Rachel's seriousness. It was enough for her to understand this was important to the brunette, so she caved. "Only if you promise me you'll came right to me if you need any help or even a shoulder to cry on."_

"_You have a deal." Rachel beamed before snuggling back in Quinn's arms quite naturally._

"For real?" Santana sounded disappointed. She hadn't forgot, nor forgiven Finn's words at sectionals and she hitched to make the boy pay.

"For real."

"So if we can't do anything to Finninept we are here so early because?" Santana was asking because she had been sure Quinn had something planned out for the idiot since the blonde had asked her at lunch if she would be able to get early to Glee. After all it was usual for the unholy trinity to be early at glee, they had been always on time, but since Quinn had been nominated co-captain they had taken to show up somewhat earlier like Rachel did. It still sounded so strange to Santana to think of two captains for one team, it was just wrong. And Quinn seemed to share the same conviction, since after having got rid of Finncompetent her friend claimed the role of vice-captain instead that the one of co-captain, no matter what Shue liked to call her.

"I made Rachel promise to call me if she needs any help." Quinn explained. "And if she needs my help I want to be near. And I knew Finn would be here early and so we are too…" She added with a shrug, before changing topic. "Where is B?"

"Her math teacher wanted to talk to her, complimenting her for the good job done I believe."

"You must have withdrawals or something. Since you got together you aren't at more than six feet from each other." Quinn teased her best friend gently, grinning. "Did I ever told you how thankful I'm that you finally pulled your head out of your ass long enough to get your girl?"

"My concussed head you mean." Santana deadpanned.

"Come on, you needed the help."

"As if you are one to talk." Santana retorted with an half-assed glare that did nothing to hide her amused smirk.

"I don't know what you mean."

Santana pursed her lips trying to gauge her friend's mood without any success. Quinn had that bland expression she often sported when she didn't want someone to know how she felt or she simply didn't care one way or the other about something. The one look that was completely unreadable even to her best friend, leaving the Latina with nothing to work on. She took a moment to decide if to press the topic some more or drop it. Then seeing that Quinn had gone back to reading her book, and not liking to be ignored, she decided it was the perfect time to nag her captain about Rachel. "Where is Streisand?" She asked, nodding to the empty seat next to the blonde, obliquely pointing out to her friend how similar their situations were. Because in Santana's book if don't think strange the fact that someone not sitting next to you rates a question about their whereabouts maybe whatever there is between you is more than simple friendship.

"When I walked her to the last class she told me she would be coming in late and to not wait for her." Quinn explained in a perfectly even tone, shrugging.

Santana watched her friend for a long moment without saying anything, hoping to see Quinn reach some sort of realization or maybe just getting embarrassed once she would became aware of how her own answer was similar to Santana's. Either would do to tease her. But there wasn't any, her captain kept reading her book, business as usual.

The Latina had her mouth already open to give another push to her best friend but Rachel choose just that moment to walk through the door, distracting Quinn with her really too happy hello.

Santana watched as the blonde closed her book and smiled back at the little diva in greeting. Rachel _skipped_, sometime the Latina found hard to believe Rachel was real, up to her chair, striking up a conversation with Quinn after having greeted her too. Apparently it was a play by play of what had happened since they had last seen each other, a little more than an hour ago.

Huffing out a greeting of her own, Santana sat back in her chair crossing her arms despondently now that she couldn't nag her captain anymore as she tried to read. Not having anything better to do she decided to glare at Finn, a more than satisfactory target for her boredom since she couldn't glare at Rachel or Quinn without some sort of explanation.

She saw the tall boy notice her glare and flinching, quickly finding something more interesting to look at. It made the Latina smirk in satisfaction for a moment before she frowned again when the hand that had instinctually gone to hold Brittany's ended up empty. Sighing longingly Santana crossed her arms across her chest again, barely keeping herself from sighing. She really hoped Brittany would come in soon, it was getting lonely without her.

Hearing the door open Santana turned her head hopeful, only to end disappointed. Mr Shue had finally made it and the Latina glared at him for a moment, on the principle he wasn't Brittany. The man apparently didn't notice as he blithely made his way in the room greeting them in a in usual hurried but happy tone.

"I have a song, Mr Shue." Finn spoke eagerly among several exasperated groans as soon as the director walked in. He had already made a sign to start to the band, whom blithely ignored him, since Will hadn't given the go ahead.

"Later." Mr Shue dismissed Finn without even looking at him, stopping at the center of the room to face the rest of his students. "I have an important announcement to make." He said with his thousand watts _I got a brilliant idea_ smile.

"Why do I have a bad presentiment?" Santana half groaned.

"Empirical experience I believe…" Quinn answered greeting a late Brittany with a nod.

The dancer had slipped in just behind Mr Shue and undetected by her girlfriend had quietly made her way to her friends in the last row. The taller blonde nodded back to her friend's greeting before sitting next to Santana and automatically linking their pinkies. Quinn didn't miss the involuntary smile that flashed on the Latina's face at the action.

Mr Shue's announcement made her attention snap back to him, a sick feeling already starting inside her. "Please welcome the football team." Will announced clapping as the players lead by Coach Bestie walked in the room and quickly took the most far away seats available from the Glee Club members. "They'll be joining us for this week."

For a moment the two groups regarded each other in a tense silence before all hell broke loose. The football players began grumbling about a club made of sissies and gays, the glee club began accusing them of being bullies and homophobes. Finn was the first to lose his cool and start to shout threats when his teammates began to make fun of him. He ended being restrained by Mr Shue as Bestie kept in check her other players. Several other voices added to the chaos from both sides after that, Rachel among them.

"We don't want them here." The little diva stated, almost growling. "They are a bunch of troglodytes."

"We wouldn't be caught dead here if we had a choice Dwarf." Karofsky shouted back.

"Dave." Quinn threatened with a warning look just as Mr Shue spoke up.

"Rachel, Glee is open to everyone who wants to join, you should know this by now." He scolded ignoring the mumbled "we don't want to be here" that came from the football team leaving to Bestie to keep her players quiet. "They are here to remain, is that clear? And I expect you'll welcome them just like every new team member before." Once there was again silence in the room he went on. "Now, you told you had a song ready. Would you like to show it to us, Finn?"

"No, Mr Shue." He bit out from his chair in the first row, sulking.

Quinn simply rolled her eyes at Finn's cowardice, not at all surprised he didn't have the guts to sing a love song in front of his own teammates. Throwing a look at Rachel she saw the brunette looked both relieved and saddened by Finn's choice. Quinn grimaced a bit. Rachel clearly knew Finn was putting her second to his popularity yet again.

"Alright." Mr Shue said, looking confused by his leading man's refusal of performing. Quinn rolled her eyes again, this time at the teacher's naïveté. "Rachel, Puck please show our guest how we do it." He prompted then with a smile, going to sit in the chair next to Finn's.

The little diva nodded and took the floor along with Puck, who took one of the guitars from the band. Neither was all that happy about the situation and it showed in their grim expressions even as they took their positions. Puck had a frown on his face and Rachel sported a scowl of her own. Even now that she wasn't bullied anymore, and was in fact one of the popular kids, Rachel had made abundantly clear she didn't care for most of the football players and their Neanderthal ways.

Quinn didn't blame her, as the head cheerleader she had had enough contact with them to know they ranked on the lower part of the scale of crass and insensitive teenage males.

The music started and it was soon clear that the performance wouldn't go smoothly.

"I'll kill him." Quinn seethed as Rachel and Puck sang among the not at all subtle digs from the football players as Shue just sat her looking confused as to what was happening in what should have been his own choir room and Bestie was looking at him to get her cue. Quinn saw the brunette bristle and just stopping herself from taking a step and clearly give Azimio and another two players a piece of her mind even as she tried to keep Puck concentrated on the song and ignore his other team mates.

"Finn or Mr Shue?" Santana inquired mildly, her hand still entwined with Brittany's, her thumb idly making soothing circles on the back of the blonde's hand. She had felt her girlfriend begin to tense as soon as the taunts had started first against the gays and then against their friend. The football team knew better than even think about taunting Brittany openly, but the girl was so kindhearted that even this indirect teasing hurt her badly.

"Right now, I'm thinking both." Quinn glaring chillingly to Azimio, the more vocal of the football players. The boy apparently got the message since he suddenly shut up from taunting Rachel, turning his efforts on Puck.

"Ok, call me if you need someone to hide bodies." Santana offered, she too not at all pleased by the surprise announcement. They had enough problems on their own without adding the football team's to them. She didn't want to work with people forced to be in Glee. This was something they did for fun, without all the pressure they had elsewhere, like in the Cheerios.

It was really the most beautiful thing about Glee, all of them were here because they enjoyed it, not because they had to be in order to get a scholarship or be popular.

And Shue's brilliant idea was making Brittany sad. And that was just wouldn't do.

xxx

After a intense search, Santana finally found Quinn at her locker. Seeing her friend already retrieving her books, the Latina lengthened her stride to catch up with her. "We have a problem." She said when she fell in step with the blonde.

"Other than the football team joining Glee Club against their will?" Quinn asked barely keeping from groaning. She didn't know whom she hated more. Azimio, and several others meathead players, for making fun of, and generally bullying, their teammates who were part of glee, the New Directions' guys who couldn't apparently manage to command any respect from their teammates or Coach Bestie and Mr Shue for cooking up this bright idea to make them all go along.

Quinn was close to not even caring. Yesterday's rehearsal had been a nightmare. From the start it had been glaringly clear the football team was anything but a team. Nobody paid any mind to Finn, official captain or not, and Quinn couldn't really blame them, that boy couldn't lead the way to the school gym with a map in hand without getting lost twice. And with no leader they had quite naturally broken up in little groups openly in competition for the top spot. In less than five minutes she had been able to single out the Glee group, the defense linemen group, whose leadership seemed to waver between Karofsky and Azimio, the seniors' group, who seemed to just do their own thing without caring about the others, and the benched guys, who seemed to just spend time glaring at the others. It was a wonder they had won anything at all.

But Quinn didn't care how they acted on the football field or their lockers room she cared how they acted in Glee Club. And they simply hadn't been pulling their weight in rehearsal. So she had gone in head bitch in charge mode and practically kicked everyone in the ass, repeatedly, until they fell in line and gave their best at practice. It hadn't been easy, especially with Mr Shue preaching to "be friends", "have fun" and to "just try". Quinn had felt the urge to kill him come back every time he opened his mouth to say one of his platitudes and ruin her work.

The only half-good news had been Coach Bestie. The woman had caught up pretty quickly with what she had been doing and had distracted Mr Shue long enough for Quinn to work her magic on what the Coach so optimistically called a football team. Because they clearly weren't a team in any sense of the word since they couldn't even work together long enough to learn a simple choreography. After all, how hard could be to learn to move as zombies to a bunch of clearly intelligence challenged teenage boys? Really, it should have came natural at them.

The head cheerleader hadn't missed Coach Bestie's hopeful gaze when she had started to shape up the sad excuses of athletes in acceptable performers. It had been all the confirmation Quinn had needed to know that Bestie had agreed to Mr Shue's idea to build up her players team spirit more than stop any harassing going on in the school or in her locker room. Something she should have done way before then the week before the last game in Quinn's opinion. One didn't win the championship with a divided team.

It had made Quinn hate Bestie for taking advantage of her leadership skills for her own purpose even as the blonde had had to admit to herself she admired the woman for exploiting every chance she got to make her losers win something. It had made Quinn wish she was the Glee club directors instead that Shue.

As soon as the big woman had seen her players fall in line under the blonde's not so tender care she had backed up Quinn on all the line, clearly telling them that whoever didn't listen to the blonde would run laps until they threw up the next day. The woman had even appointed Karofsky as vice captain after she had seen how effective Dave had been in being Quinn's strong arm with the football players.

"Yes." Santana said deadly serious. "Coach found a way around the competition's rules. The cannon is now officially permitted."

"Shit." Quinn swore, asking herself if this day could get any worse. "Figgings didn't do anything to stop it?" She asked hoping against hope her plan B had worked out at least in part.

"He did nothing but ask for a written consent from the one who'll be shot, so that no lawsuit can be made against the school." Santana snarled out, making her contempt for the principal obvious. "The only stipulation is if there isn't a written consent filed within the day before the competition there'll be no cannon." The two cheerleaders exchanged a meaningful look at that tidbit, a new plan already in motion. "I made Brittany hide in the auditorium. If Sue can't find her, Britt can't give her consent." The Latina added with an half smirk, getting a grin in answer.

"Good idea." Quinn approved. "It's the only thing we can do now." She admitted with a sigh. "Ok, if you need anything to keep B the hell away from Coach call me, alright?"

"Sure." Santana agreed with a grim look on her face. She would do anything it would be needed to keep Brittany safe.

"I'll give the others an heads up, then it'll be up to them to stay out of Coach's hands." Quinn said, already planning strategies on how to solve this new problem.

The Latina nodded her agreement and started to walk away to get back to her girlfriend, feeling uneasy at leaving Brittany alone for any length of time with Sue hunting for her.

"Hey, S?" Quinn called out after a moment, making Santana turn around with a questioning look. "Coach may be aiming at Brittany, but she could always decide you're a suitable replacement. So be careful, ok?"

"You too, Q." The Latina reminded from over her shoulder already vanishing in the crowd.

"Careful of what?" A concerned voice Quinn would recognize everywhere asked from behind her.

The blonde turned around to find Rachel standing a couple of feet away clasping her books to her chest just a bit harder than normal. The brunette was clearly worried about her and the realization warmed a carefully hidden side of Quinn. "Remember my plan to stop Coach Sylvester from using her cannon?"

"Obviously." Rachel answered with a frown at the apparent non sequitur. "You wanted to report the use of the cannon to the cheerleading association."

Quinn nodded, an half smile playing on her lips at the almost affronted look Rachel sported at the idea she could have forgot something her friend had told her. "And the backup plan?"

"Reporting everything to Figgins, sure."

"Santana just told me they both failed." Quinn run her fingers through her hair, still finding difficult to believe it herself. "The rules were amended to permit it and our principal just asked for a written consent from whoever will be shot out of it."

"WHAT?!" Rachel shouted getting the attention of half the student body present in the hallway.

Quinn's glare made them go back to mind their own business. "Yeah, that was my reaction too." She sighed. "Santana is already gone in overprotective mode on Brittany, and I don't blame her since she was Sue's first choice as a volunteer." Quinn asked idly to herself if being chosen as volunteer was normal practice only in McKinley High or if it happened in other schools. "Listen, I don't know how much free time I'll have in the next week or so. Between the glee club's rehearsals, homework, cheerios' practices and this it'll be a miracle if I find time to sleep." Quinn explained even as she was already making plans to adjust her schedule as much as possible to fit Rachel in.

"Don't worry about it." The brunette said cutting her off, understanding the blonde's position. "Do what you need to keep your girls safe but, Santana was right, be careful, ok? I don't want to see you ending up shoot from the cannon."

"I promise." The blonde said with a small smile on her face before groaning at what she saw. "Finn is trying to get your attention." Quinn warned Rachel nodding in the tall quarterback's direction. The boy was almost at the other end of the hallway, looking at them with what Quinn was sure should have been a longing expression but seemed more constipated than anything else.

"I'm over Finn." It wasn't strictly false. She had been much less heartbroken about the end of her relationship that what she had expected. Sure she was still sad, and very much disappointed in Finn but she felt better than she had hoped for. Rachel was sure much of it was due to Quinn's steadfast presence.

"Well, he doesn't look to be over you." The blonde commented rolling her eyes.

"Yes, he does seem to have problem understanding this time it's really over." Rachel admitted.

"The only good thing that came out of this Glee club-football team week is that at least he'll not mangle any more heartbreaking love songs trying to serenade you." Quinn saw Rachel bit her lip and avert her eyes, looking almost guilty. "When did it happen?"

"He serenaded me when I was in the choir room practicing when you where at cheerios meeting, maybe half an hour ago." Rachel admitted thinking back at the scene. She had been practicing her scales and working on a song she thought Quinn would like when the boy had stepped into the room, immediately breaking out in a decent rendition of Savage Garden's Truly, Madly, Deeply. Afterwards, when Finn had asked her what she thought about it Rachel had simply said to him that it didn't change the fact he had lied to her. The boy had huffed out she was being impossible and stormed out of the room, leaving behind a bemused Rachel, who wondered just when he had became the diva out of the two of them.

"I can explain to Finn has to stop to him in a way he'll get it." Quinn knew she was probably overreacting, after all the boy hadn't done anything but try to serenade Rachel but she couldn't help but feel protective of the smaller girl. And Finn was ignoring her wishes.

"Thanks, but no. I'm sure he'll get it on his own." At Quinn's almost worried gaze Rachel relented. "If Finn hasn't backed off by the championship game you can speak to him."

Quinn nodded accepting the terms even if she suspected that her definition of speaking and Rachel was vastly different. "I wanted to spend time with you this week just relaxing after sectionals." She admitted finally.

"I understand, Quinn." Rachel said just as softly. She would miss her friend just as much. "And even if I won't see you out of the school we'll see each other in class and you'll come to glee, won't you?"

"Always." Quinn promised.

"Then we are good." Rachel said smiling. "See you tomorrow at practice?"

"Sure, I'll bring the coffee." Quinn offered. They had started taking turn at bringing the hot beverage ever since the morning had grown more cold than chilly.

"A girl after my heart." Rachel said before they began walking to their next class.

xxx

Sue wasn't amused. Figgings had just told her she was officially out of time to produce the written consent. After almost a week of searching for her cannon-girl she hadn't successfully forced a volunteer to sign the written consent. Aside from Becky all her Cheerios had avoided her all week outside of practice time.

They had began to walk in groups of at least three and to never leave each other presence and to quickly go from classroom to classroom. Several had brought her medical notes where they were declared unsound of mind and so incapable of agree to be shot out of the cannon without parental consent. Quinn, Santana and Brittany had begun to hang out around Shuester or Bestie practically always. The taller girl, her chosen volunteer, had been especially impossible to find

Every time she was about to corner Brittany Quinn would show up and distract her with something and if it wasn't Fabray it was one of the other Cheerios or even a jock or two. One time it had been Wheels to hinder her search. Apparently he had lost every sense of direction along with that of self preservation. And when Sue would get rid of them Pierce was nowhere in sight. Spirited away from the lockers room or the cafeteria, even out of the restrooms.

It was clear Fabray was the mastermind behind all this even if S had to be heavily implicated in it. It was times like this Sue regretted making Quinn her Captain or even allow her to be on Cheerios. But the girl was just too good as a captain and a tumbler to be left out. And it was exactly at times like this Quinn reminded her of a young Sue Sylvester. The girl had been cunning, ruthless and determined.

Quinn had won this round. But it didn't matter, because there were always way to exact revenge. And if the original Sue Sylvester hadn't got what she wanted, neither the young one would.

Sue stopped outside the football team's locker room. She could hear Shuester and Bestie talk inside about how well his losers' club and her ineffective team had been getting along. Smirking she opened the door. It would be so easy…

xxx

**I hope you liked it. The next chapter is already mostly written, even if it's on paper…**

**Now I really have to go to sleep, since tomorrow it's back to work (I realized that working takes a lot of time out of my week, strange, mmm?)**


	10. Chapter 10

**As always thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a review. I appreciate it more than I can say.**

**So this had to be an happy Christmas chapter, but has become an early happy new year one. You know the best laid plans and all that…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

**Chapter 10**

_From time to time even dragons have to bow their heads_

Rehearsal was finally going well, with the Glee kids and the football players moving as a single group. Everyone was doing his part and the overall effect, even without the make-up, was spectacular in Quinn's opinion. "Is Azimio still creating problems?" She asked, when she felt someone step next to her, watching the big football player on the far side of the lineup. He had been the football team's problem kid.

"No. I put him back in line like you told me to." Dave Karofsky said stopping at her side to watch the last minutes of the performance. He had followed Quinn's advice and explained who was the boss to Azimio the hard way. His tight hand still hurt but it had worked out pretty well. "And after I made an example of him everyone else stopped giving me problems at all."

They stood like that in silence looking at the football players as they were rehearsing the choreography for their mash up. It had turned out that boys could move in time with the music after a suitable quantity of practice. Finn was the only one who still flubbed half his steps. "Fabray?" Dave's voice distracted Quinn from her thoughts on how getting rid of Finn on a permanent basis. Really, if after two years in glee he resulted the most uncoordinated of the whole football team the only thing to do was cutting the losses. And now that he wasn't Rachel's boyfriend anymore there would be very little obstacles if she played it well.

"Yes, Karofsky?" She asked absentmindedly, still watching the rehearsal as she plotted. She was really satisfied of how it was coming along.

"Thanks."

The quiet word made Quinn turn to look curiously at the big guy at her side, momentarily forgetting about Finn and the zombie mash up. "Whatever for?"

"I'm not stupid." Dave started and Quinn had to admit he was right. He had been a bit of a dickhead since last year but he hadn't ever been stupid. And like many he had had his reason. "I know Bestie made me vice captain because of you. You showed me how to handle the team." Quinn nodded. She had explained several things to Dave after he had demonstrated himself useful in controlling the football team. "Yesterday Coach took me aside and told me that after the Championship she'll make me captain if I do a good job during the game, keep the team united and focused." Quinn could see the proud smile on Dave's face as he told her. "Maybe to you in doesn't mean anything, since you're Cheerios' captain and practically the valedictorian, but something like this could be my only chance to get out of here."

She saw in his eyes how much this meant to him and his gratefulness. Like many others he had feared to end up stuck in this town after high school, just another Lima loser. "Good for you." She did the only thing she could to let him off the hook of owing her something this important, she acted like what he said was nothing special. Quinn saw the look of understanding flash on his face at her lack of reaction that made clear he understood what she was doing. Dave really wasn't stupid. "Once you're the captain ask Bestie if you can choose your own vice-captain. It makes everything simpler having a friend as a right hand or at least someone you can trust."

xxx

It had been a pretty stressful week for Quinn, Rachel mused, noticing how tired the blonde looked as she walked in the choir room. Even so she got a genuine smile in greeting when the cheerleader sat next to her.

The brunette knew Quinn had been divided between keeping the football team in line, helping Santana hiding Brittany from Sue and generally being a support to everything the Latina did, managing to do all of this with an admirable degree of success.

It also meant Rachel had seen little of what had become her best friend and she had missed her. "So you're finally in the clear for the cannon thing?" She asked, knowing yesterday was the last day Coach Sylvester had to deposit the written consent.

"Yeah. And thank God for that." Quinn answered quietly, her tiredness obvious in her voice. The sigh the blonde let out before going on was one of relief that this day was almost over. "I was beginning to think we wouldn't have made it." She admitted.

Rachel couldn't help but nod, as she went to squeeze Quinn's hand in comfort. The blonde was right, it had been difficult and Rachel was sure she knew only half of it.

_Quinn didn't know why but Sue had decided early on that Brittany was the ideal candidate to be shot out of that cursed cannon. It had made hiding the taller girl even more difficult than protecting the rest of the team put together._

"_Q!" Sue called out, angrily stalking toward her captain and frightening everyone in the hallway. Several students dived in the classrooms or tried to become one with the lockers, praying the enraged teacher would ignore them. _

"_Coach." Quinn greeted calmly, closing her locker and turning to face the tall woman, making a sign to Rachel to wait before approaching. She didn't want the brunette caught in the crossfire._

"_Several of my Cheerios gave me an official declaration where they were declared unsound of mind." She snarled getting in Quinn's face, trying to intimidate her. "Do you have an explanation Q?"_

"_Being sane and be a cheerleader are mutually exclusive?" Quinn replied not a bit intimidated by the woman's posturing. One didn't become the Cheerio's captain if she was scared stiff of the coach._

"_You could be right." Sue retorted glaring at her like she was something gross stuck under her shoe."You went out with Frankteen of your own will." She added with an almost thoughtful tone._

"_That was harsh Coach."_

"_No more than the fact you are keeping me from having what I want." The woman said in one of her rare moments of directness. The words alarmed Quinn. Sue was at her most dangerous when she sounded almost sane. "Nobody gets away with hindering my plans, Q. Just keep that in mind." And with that the woman just turned and stalked away, shoving a student too slow to get out of her way and kicking a trashcan hard enough to topple it before disappearing in another hallway._

"_You alright?" Rachel asked as soon as she reached Quinn, clearly uncomfortable with the scene she had witnessed._

"_Sure, that was a rather run of the mill intimidation routine." The blonde reassured. "I have survived worse."_

"_Do you think she will really do something to you if she doesn't find someone to shot out of her cannon?" Rachel had found out that no matter how many times she repeated it, the idea of shooting someone out of a cannon still sounded as absurd as the first time to her._

"_Oh, I'm sure of it, but there is no alternative." Because Quinn couldn't even contemplate the idea of letting Brittany or one of the other Cheerios be shot out of a cannon if she could do something about it._

"_I know, but I'm worried for you, Quinn." Rachel said stepping closer, her concern evident in the brown eyes._

"_Hey, I can deal with whatever she throws me." Quinn said softly, reaching out with her arm to pull Rachel in an half hug._

"Alright guys, change of plans." Shue said clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "We'll do our zombie mash up at the half time show."

"Why?" Mercedes asked. "We had to do it at the school assembly next week."

"Yeah, I mean we already will have to play that night, we can't perform at half time too." One of the football players complained from what had become their side of the choir room.

"If you don't, you won't play." Coach Bestie ground out with a glare at the large boy, one of the defense linemen, obviously getting tired of repeating herself.

"Coach, Tom is right, why should we do the half time show when there are the cheerleaders?" Azimio asked, sounding almost polite, at least until he added, "I mean cheerleaders should be useful to something other than look pretty in their uniforms and make football players happy." Causing several of his teammates to snicker.

"You mean like being the only winning sport team in the school?" Quinn said, offhandedly reminding them once more they weren't the ones that held seven consecutive national titles.

"We got to the championship final this year." Azimio growled.

"I'm impressed. Really." Quinn said drolly. Santana snorted a laugh, even Rachel coulnd't help her smile.

"Azimio drop it." Bestie's firm voice cut off the defense lineman's reply.

"As I was saying," Will started again, clearing his throat a bit uncomfortable with the tension in the room, "we'll need to perform at the halftime show because cheerleading regionals' date has been changed to the nigh of the championship."

Startled, Rachel turned to look at Quinn, only to see her shake her head in answer. From her face it was obvious the blonde hadn't known about the change of date. It ashamed Rachel to admit it made her feel better to find out that the blonde hadn't hidden anything from her.

After her quick exchange with Rachel, Quinn shot a worried glance to Santana and Brittany, who were as startled as she was. The grim look on the Latina's face confirmed her fears that this was somehow part of Sue's payback against them. Not having another choice they schooled their features back into impassibility when the others in the room turned to stare at them. It wasn't in their nature to show any vulnerability.

"So it'll be up to un to make the half time show as memorable as the match." Shue went on, letting his gaze meet everyone else's in the room but the three cheerios', further confirming Quinn's fear that something wasn't quite right. "I expect one hundred percent from everybody." He didn't like to be the one to say this, but Shannon had been right. They couldn't always bend at Sue's will. "We can do this guys."

"Mr Shue?"

"Yes, Quinn?" Will said, turning to look at her but whishing he could avoid what was about to happen.

"Santana, Brittany and I, can't be at the half time show, not if the cheerleading regional's date has been changed to that night." The blonde explained, still cautious about assuming it was true. This was the first time she had heard of this and she really didn't know if what Shue was telling was true.

"Coach Bestie and I already discussed this." Shue took a deep breath before going on, reminding himself what they had agreed upon was only fair. "Anyone who isn't there will be out of Glee or the football team."

"We can't be in two places at the same time, Mr Shue." Quinn said in an hard voice, a sick feeling beginning in her stomach now that it was clear what the change of date meant. She didn't know how but she was sure this was all Sue's work.

"Then you'll have to choose." He said glancing for an instant to Bestie, who nodded at him, before looking back at Quinn, not quite meeting her eyes. "Glee or Cheerios."

Quinn grabbed Santana's shoulder just in time to force her friend to stay seated. "You're no better than Coach Sylvester." Santana accused, seething.

"These are the rules, Santana." Shue repeated, this time with more conviction. "The same of the football team. If you don't to the half time show, you're out of Glee Club."

"I can't believe you, Mr Shue." Rachel's voice rang out in the surprised silence. It was the first time Mr Shue made any kind of ultimatum. "After all the talk about being a family, be here for each other and the first time there is a scheduling conflict you throw them out."

"I can't make any exceptions, it wouldn't be right." Shue said, standing his ground.

"I knew we couldn't trust them." Finn shot glaring to the unholy trinity, sounding almost gleeful as he did. "We shouldn't ever have permitted you to join Glee Club from the beginning."

"Glee Club is open to all, you forgot that Finn?" Quinn said, even knowing that the argument was lost before it even began. She had seen the glances Mr Shue's kept throwing at Bestie, and it was clear this wasn't the man's idea. And Quinn doubted it was Bestie's, or at least it wasn't only hers. She suspected Sue had manipulated the two teachers.

"Whatever." Finn sneered. "I don't care. Go crawl to Coach Sylvester, I'll here laughing when she'll dump you as soon as you won't useful anymore."

"We know that Finnept." Santana said sarcastically, rolling her eyes to add emphasis to her own words. "Nobody ever told us Cheerios are a charity. You stay in that team only until you are the best. But with your football team you wouldn't know, wouldn't you?"

"Alright. That's enough." Mr Shue interjected. "You have a choice." He said looking straight at Quinn, Santana and Brittany. "Be there for the halftime show, or be out of Glee Club."

"We understand." The head cheerleader said coldly.

xxx

The auditorium was quiet as usual. Very few people ever came here and Quinn knew of only one that did it regularly aside from herself.

Quinn saw Rachel as soon as she walked in even if the brunette wasn't on the stage like she had always been since they had started eating lunch together. Rachel was sitting in the first row, looking almost huddled in the chair, like she was hiding from someone, or something. Quinn felt a sick feeling at her stomach at the sight, the proof that Rachel already suspected what she was about to say, even if it made breaking the news easier for her.

"Hey." Quinn called out as she made her way to the first row, her footfalls the only other sound in the room. It was only then that Quinn realized Rachel wasn't humming to herself like she always did when she was waiting alone nor she had turned her head to see who had come in when the door had opened and then closed.

"Hey." Rachel greeted back quietly, still not turning her head.

"I need to speak with you." But Quinn saw that her somber tone had been enough to confirm whatever suspects Rachel already had, because the brunette tensed some more, like she was expecting a blow of some kind.

"You're leaving Glee." The brunette said, nodding almost to herself, suddenly finding her worrying fingers so much easier to look at than the girl in front of her.

"Yes." Quinn confirmed in a voice just as quiet, even if it hadn't been a question. "We're quitting Glee."

"I understand." Rachel said swallowing hard, since it was suddenly difficult to speak. She had known it would happen but it hurt all the same.

"No." Quinn said quietly but firmly, crouching in front of Rachel, lifting her chin with a gentle hand until they gazes could met. "I don't think you do." She added cocking her head to one side letting her regret show. "I, _we_," Quinn corrected herself. "don't want to leave Glee, we _have to_."

"Have to?" Rachel questioned, finding it hard to believe. "But you, you are _you_… nobody makes you do anything you don't want to."

"Oh, how I wish it would be true, Rach." Quinn said wistfully, feeling like she had let the brunette down not coming up with a solution. "If I could I would remain and San and Brit would do the same thing. I mean, you heard S, she said glee is the best part of her day. And Britt, you know that B lives to dance. And I _love_ Glee." She stressed the word meaningfully, looking at the brunette with so much in her hazel eyes that Rachel couldn't grasp it all before it vanished.

"Then why? Is Sue blackmailing you?"

"No." The blonde shook her head. "The Cheerios are our best chance to get a scholarship and get out of Lima, Rachel." Quinn explained, after taking a deep breath, forcing herself to meet Rachel's eye again this time letting just her honesty show. "Especially for Santana and I. For us there won't be dance or sing scholarships, neither of us is good enough to get one." Rachel could see the regret and just a bit of pain in the hazel eyes that were boring in hers. "Our only hope are the cheerleading ones or the academic ones, and you know how hard they are to get." Quinn knew she was practically pleading Rachel to understand, but she didn't care. "As for Britt, she could, will, probably get a dance scholarship, but S and she are a package deal and if S needs to stay on Cheerios B will do as well."

"I understand." Rachel said, this time meaning it, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Really?" Quinn had hoped Rachel would understand why she needed to leave Glee but she hadn't dared to hope it would happen.

"Yes, really." Rachel couldn't fault Quinn for wanting to get out of Lima and make something out of herself when she wanted the same exact thing. "I'll just miss my Dragon."

"I'm not going anywhere." Quinn saw Rachel nodding with a faraway look. It was clear the brunette didn't believe her, but she didn't say anything. She would just show Rachel she was different.

xxx

"Where is Quinn?" Shue asked as soon as Rachel walked in his office, by now used to always see them together. The two girls had practically become inseparable since the beginning of the year.

He didn't know why Finn had chosen to step down from co-captaincy or how Quinn had ended filling it. One day the blonde had showed up with Rachel and acted like she had every right to be there. After Rachel had explained Quinn was here to help her, Will hadn't questioned it any further simply assuming she had took up the co-captain role.

He had soon found out Quinn was very intense about her role. The way she seemed to always expect something more from him when he discussed his ideas with the two of them had made him feel like he was on the spot, like he didn't measure quite up to her standards. Even so, Will had to admit that since Quinn had become co-captain Glee club's performances had got way better. "We need to talk on how to change the choreography to make the most of the football field now that we won't be performing on the stage."

"She won't come, Mr Shue." Rachel informed him, her voice firm and precise, clearly controlled, not bothering to take a seat. "Nor Santana or Brittany will be at rehearsal." Will didn't really understand what she meant until Rachel spelled it out for him. "You told them to choose and they have."

"Ah, alright." Will said, frowning at the news. He was surprised, the fact that the three of them could choose Cheerios over Glee hadn't ever crossed his mind, not really, not after seeing their change from last year.

"No, it's not alright." Rachel corrected him in an almost fierce voice, her hands curling into fists, startling him from his thoughts. "And let me point out why to you. Now that you made Quinn, Brittany and Santana leave Glee Club we don't have enough members to participate to regional competition. The same regionals we qualified for thanks to their outstanding performances, among others."

From Shue's look Rachel could tell he hadn't thought of this. She narrowed her eyes at the thought he had been so careless to not even think out the consequence of his actions.

"It doesn't matter." Will said at last. "We'll find other members." He added with a determined nod. It wasn't the first time the Glee Club was in an hard spot. They would find a way out of this too.

"And where exactly?" Rachel scoffed, not believing what she was hearing. "Do I need to remind you we already held auditions and the only ones that tried out were Sam and Sunshine? Nobody else even showed up."

"I'm sure some of the football players will want to join."

"You're right," She said, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "Just like they want to be in Glee Club now. You can always blackmail them in staying after the championship game, like Coach Bestie is doing now. Who knows, maybe she'll even lend you an hand on how to plan it since we all know they are performing with us only because it's that or be out of the team." Will flinched at her caustic words. "I remember Glee was different before, you know? It was a place where people actually wanted to be there, where everyone who wanted to join or stay could do it. It was a fun place. It was a family." She looked at him with all the disgust she felt for him not caring he was a teacher or the director of glee club, her best chance to get out of Lima. "Santana was right. You're become exactly like Coach Sylvester."

"I gave them a choice." Will tried to defend himself even as a little voice in his head told him she was right.

Rachel shook her head, letting her arms fall at her sides, like the fight had left her. "An impossible one and you know it."

"That's enough Rachel." Will said trying to take control of the conversation. Even if he couldn't really fault her for her reaction she was still only a student and had to show respect to him. "The decision is taken. It's out of my hands now. I can't do anything now."

"You're right." She agreed with a terse nod. "_You_ can't do anything now." And with that she marched out of his office and all Will could think was the fact they still had to talk about the changes.

xxx

Santana touched Quinn's shoulder, distracting her from glaring at Finn's retreating back. Sometimes she really asked herself just what she had seen in the tall, _too tall_, quarterback. Somehow at the beginning she had took Finn's arrogance and egoism for determination and drive. How stupid she had been. Quinn was only glad she had realized it soon enough and broken up with him. She was even happier Rachel had done the same. The boy wasn't good enough for the brunette. Trying to dismiss Finn from her thoughts Quinn followed her vice-captain's gaze.

"Hey." Quinn greeted an approaching Rachel trying but not succeeding to completely hide the anger from her tone.

"Hey." Rachel greeted back softly, trying to gauge the cause of Quinn's foul mood. She could see Santana was tense, practically shaking in anger, and even Brittany didn't look happy as she began to run a soothing hand over the Latina's back after Santana had looped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She had expected tenseness and a certain degree of regret and unhappiness at being made to choose between Glee and Cheerios, not this display of anger.

"You too here to convince us to come back to glee like Finn tried to?" Quinn asked, trying for a neutral tone but failing. She was still seething at Finn's sheer galls to show his face and tell them if they joined Glee Club for the half time show everything would be forgiven. Like there was something to be forgiven. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm down. Finn's speech had made her livid, but she didn't want to take it out on Rachel.

"No." Rachel assured shaking her head, easily putting two and two together. At half time, with the Titans leading by three points, she had seen Finn take off saying something about getting everyone for their halftime show, since nothing could stop them tonight. She had ignored him, having to talk to Karofsky to set the last details before their performance. They had organized the performance in a way that left the football players have time to shower, change and rest for a bit before having to dance, so she hadn't been worried by Finn's disappearance. Apparently she should have, seeing how mad her three Cheerios were because of him. She would have a talk with him later. "I'm here because Captains support their dragons." Rachel added with a smile that grew bigger when the blonde began to return it. "So, good luck, even if I'm sure don't need it to win." Rachel said with a shrug. "You're the best." She added looking straight in the expressive hazel eyes.

"You bet we are." Santana called from behind Quinn, grinning slightly, Brittany just nodded and smiled at her before putting her head back on the Latina's shoulder.

"Thanks Rachel." Quinn whispered, enfolding the shorter girl in a hug. She held the brunette for a long moment, feeling herself relax in Rachel's arms. It wasn't the ideal situation by any stretch but knowing Rachel was in her corner made it all that better.

"You need to go." Rachel whispered in Quinn's ear, hearing Coach Sylvester's call to get in the school-bus, even as she tightened her hold on the blonde.

"You too. It's almost time for the halftime show." Quinn said, without even needing to look at her watch, knowing perfectly what time their performance was programmed. After all she had spent countless hours planning and practicing for it. She and Brittany had even helped Rachel to rework the choreography without the three of them. "I talked with Karosfky," Quinn started to explain when she finally stepped back, hoping to soothe whatever worry Rachel could have in regard of the show. She had taken the big boy aside as soon as she had known she would have to leave Glee Club and made it clear she expected him to treat Rachel with the same respect he treated her if he didn't want to find out how far her influence reached in the school. Dave had smiled at her and said he understood what she meant and promised to help the small brunette. "Whatever you need to keep the meat heads in line he'll help you with, ok?"

"Thanks. Really." The brunette thanked her voice full of gratefulness. Sometimes it still took her by surprise when Quinn did things like this. When she showed her how much she cared. "You didn't have to get out of your way for me..." Rachel protested halfheartedly, nervously playing with a lock of hair before putting it behind her ear.

"For you I'll always do it." Quinn replied seriously, before winking breaking the sudden tension between them. "Now, go be a star."

"And you go and be a winner." Rachel called back, starting to walk in the stadium's direction, with a last wave to Santana and Brittany whom had already reached the rest of the Cheerios by the bus. Rachel locked her eyes one last time with the warm hazel ones that were still following her and then she turned the back to the parking lot, now ready to perform in front of a stadium for the first time in her life.

xxx

**Hope you liked it, even if somewhere it sounded still a bit rough to me. Maybe I'll edit it… **

**See you the next time. We'll see what happens after the match and the regionals…**


	11. Chapter 11

So, I finally known what it means having written something and having lost it. This chapter (both part 1 and 2) was practically ready at the beginning of february, I would have posted it then if my new, Christmas-gift, _it makes coffee too_, laptop wouldn't have died on me.

So I lost ten thousand words for this story, three chapters of another story (called the flipped side of captain and dragons) and a chapter of my attempt to make season four work. It'll surprise you to know it made me pretty angry.

Oh, and if you are wondering rewriting is a bitch as I found out in march when I got the laptop back. The chapter is never the same no matter how hard you work at it. So I don't know if the end result is better or worse than what I had written before, but we are stuck with it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee

**Chapter 11**

_At the end of the day your Dragon will be at your side_

**part 1**

Glee sounded wrong, like there was something off key Rachel couldn't quite pin point no matter how much attention she paid to it.

It wasn't a case of awkward silence in the room or anything similar. Something just sounded different. It was strange, like it was too quiet to Rachel even if there was rumor.

There was the more o less quiet chatter between the kids, finally happy to not be in a classroom and in place where they had fun. Sure, there was less talk going on than what had been usual in those last weeks since no one from the football team had actually joined after their mandatory stint in the club, but the general excitement for the successful half time number made up for it.

"Hi."

The perky voice startled Rachel from her thoughts. "Hello Sunshine." The brunette greeted back.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Why should I?" Rachel asked nonchalantly even if it did bother her on some level. She furrowed her brows, thinking about it. She hadn't anything against Sunshine, not since her talk with Quinn when the girl first joined, she had found out she quite liked her even.

"I didn't want to... overstep?" The small girl explained sitting down gingerly, almost shyly. They had ended up striking a sort of friendship and sometimes, from how Sunshine acted around her Rachel suspected the girl idolized her somewhat. "It's usually Quinn's place."

And suddenly the reason Sunshine's request had bothered her was clear to Rachel. She didn't like that _that _chair was empty in the first place.

Or why Glee felt off-key. It was a matter of presence. Or a lack of to be exact.

The room, the club, sorely lacked in presence right now. Without Quinn, or Santana, they had lost the kind of the people one turned to look at even when they didn't say anything, like they were some sort of compass. The natural leaders.

"Don't worry about it." Rachel said smiling at her friend, falling quiet just as the intro to The Queen's _we are the champions_ began playing.

Finn, Puck, Sam, Artie and Mike were about to start a rendition of the piece in homage of their championship victory.

The tall quarterback kept the tempo tapping his foot on the floor then started singing a big smile on his face.Rachel had noticed how since the match he had became more sure of himself.

_I've paid my dues  
Time after time  
I've done my sentence  
But committed no crime _

The song wasn't original and surely a bit overdone, but at least they had prepared it on their own and from how they were moving it was clear to Rachel they felt it. And a singer feeling his song was the first step to make it a masterpiece. Now, if they only mastered feeling something not quite so obviously related to their own situation, New Directions would surely win regionals no matter whoever else they met.

Sam took on the next verse with a severely improved competence since the beginning of the year.

_And bad mistakes  
I've made a few  
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face -  
But I've come through_

Rachel couldn't but feel a bit proud of his progresses even as kept following her previous line of thoughts.

For example, Sam was just too nice to really be the person in charge of anything even if gave the impression of being someone you could count on if you ever found yourself in a tight spot. Finn always tried to show how much of a leader he was and regularly fell short of the expectations. It had been glaringly clear when the other football players had joined Glee club and showed none of the respect the Cheerios paid to both Quinn and Santana and by extension to Brittany. The other guys didn't even qualify in the leadership area.

Sure, there was her own ego and Kurt's and Mercedes' but it was more bluster than anything else, something to show on a stage more than in the real life. They were loud and opinionated but they weren't leaders. They weren't accomplished and more so they didn't feel accomplished and it showed.

No. The real presence of the club was missing and it was painfully obvious to Rachel. And to the others too, she realized as the boys' performance carried on.

Like herself, just about everyone in the room had been looking around like they were searching for something or someone, only to frown just a bit, or shake their head, like couldn't quite figure out what they were looking for until their eyes fell on Quinn's usual chair now taken up by Sunshine.

Quinn had a presence that could only be described as imposing. When she walked in a room people turned to watch her. Rachel had seen this happen hundreds of times. And it wasn't only because she was beautiful, it was because of how she carried herself.

Rachel just hadn't realized how much she too had counted on that presence, even before they became friends. The brunette frowned, trying to remember how it had been before the three Cheerios joined Glee. She couldn't quite master it. They weren't good memories, it had been a time where being slushied only once a day was a success, where the club hadn't enough members to compete.

"_Like now."_ She thought bitterly, frowning at the memory of the first rehearsal after the championship game.

_Mr Shue walked in slightly late, but not too late, as always. He looked at the room, took in the absence of every one of the football players and decided to address it as the first thing._

"_Well, it seems that no one of our temporary members decided to stay." He started, looking disappointed. Rachel wanted to snort so badly, but she refrained. From the sounds of it, Puck didn't and neither did Mercedes and the brunette would bet her the next solo Kurt and Tina had rolled their eyes. Nobody but Shue, with his rose colored glasses, had thought any football player would remain. Rachel could even say _"I had told you so"_ but she didn't really want to argue with Mr Shue. It would only make him all the more stubborn about the situation. "any of you talked to them about joining for the rest of the year?" He asked looking at the football players already in Glee._

_There was an embarrassed silence as they exchanged glances. Sam was the one who finally spoke up. "They said it was fun for a couple of weeks but not something they wanted to do always." Karofsky had been the spokesperson and after that he had assured that from then on the glee club members would be left alone. _"to each his own."_ He had said among the nods of the other players. Sam along with Finn, Puck, Artie and Mike didn't want to rock the boat so they had just accepted it._

"_Well, it's in their right." Mr Shue said, his shoulders slumping just a bit. He had hoped Karofsky's attitude at the offer to stay would be an exception. "So please, let your friends and the school know Glee Club is searching new members." He went on gaining force, trying to motivate them. "We need our twelfth member, guys. And we need him or her before regionals. Come on! We can do it."_

_Nobody looked convinced._

As soon as the glee ended Finn practically bounced over to Rachel with a wide grin on his face. Since winning the championship he felt on the top of the world, like nothing could stop him now that he had led the Titans to their first title ever.

"So?" He asked eagerly, the restless energy showing as he rocked on his feet. "You liked it?"

"It was a really good performance Finn." Rachel said as she craned her head a bit to look at him in the eyes. She didn't remember him to be this tall. _"Too tall."_ A thought flashed in her mind completely unbidden.

"I'm happy you liked it." Finn replied his smile widening as he leaned against the chair next to Rachel. "Maybe we could work together on a Queen's song for the Regionals." He added looking hopefully at her.

"It's a good idea." Rachel said nodding a bit as she gathered her things, ready to leave. "But maybe you should talk to Mr Shue about it." She proposed not wanting to spend time alone with him. He had stepped back after two weeks of serenades hadn't sorted any effect, but Rachel wasn't sure he had really accepted it was over between them. She didn't want to give him mixed signals.

"I could really use your help." Finn said leaning even closer, sporting his best puppy look, his hand on the back of the chair sliding closer to Rachel.

"I'm sure you'll do all right by yourself." The brunette replied with a tight lipped smile as her eyes darted around the fast emptying room.

Sam, whom had watched the scene unfold from the other side of the room, saw Rachel beginning to get uncomfortable with Finn's nearness. It was plain in the small girl's body language, her posture was tense and she had brought her music notebook closer to her body, like a makeshift shield. He noticed how her eyes kept turning to the door and how the other quarterback was between her and the nearest exit, almost keeping her boxed in against the chairs.

Sam didn't like what he was seeing, and he sure as hell hoped that Finn just didn't realize how much intimidating he could be, especially to a girl as small as Rachel. Apparently his captain, he still had to understand why Bestie had confirmed him in that role, had trouble to understand "it's over". The first week of serenades had been cute, the second had soon grown desperate, now he was bordering on the stalking side.

Sam was just glad he had hung back to wait for Rachel instead than precede her to the parking lot. "So Rachel, you coming to Puck's party?" Sam asked, walking over to the two like he didn't have a care in the world.

They both turned to look at him, Finn with a frown and Rachel with something like relief, and he just smiled innocently, like nothing was wrong. Pretending to be oblivious to all sort of things, came pretty easily to him. Being blonde had its advantages.

"I don't know." The brunette replied, using the excuse to get up from the chair and get some space between Finn and her. "It's not even confirmed yet…" She added evasively. Her first thought was that she hadn't spoken to Quinn about it yet. And since that first time, when Brian had invited her instead than Finn, she always checked with Quinn before agreeing to go to any party. It had started as paranoia on her side but had soon grown in an tradition. They talked about the party, what time they would show up, how long they would remain. Lately when they talked about what they would wear Rachel was more curious to know how Quinn would dress than in any advice the blonde would give her. Still, having Quinn's seal of approval on whatever she choose made Rachel feel good.

"Well, whenever Puck throws it, me and Sandy we'll be there." The blond quarterback went on with a sweet smile on his face, completely ignoring Finn. Sam wasn't a mean guy, but throwing a wrench in the other player's plans was fun besides being right.

"It's Sandy and me, Sam." Rachel corrected his grammar automatically.

"Right." Sam acknowledged not taking offense, by now used to the brunette's attitude towards linguistic propriety. "It's getting late, do you need a ride? At lunch Quinn told me your car it's at the shop." Well it wasn't exactly what Quinn had told him at lunch but leaving out something wasn't lying, right?

"_Sam." The blonde cheerleader called out just before he reached the cafeteria's door._

"_Hello Quinn." He greeted turning around and trying to ignore his growling stomach. His math teacher had held him back to talk and he was already late for lunch. Apparently he would be later still._

"_You remember the favor you owe me?"_

"_Sure." Sam acknowledged frowning a bit at her serious face. Since the championship game, or maybe the day she had to quit Glee club, Quinn had become scarily intimidating. She walked around with such an attitude that people dived to get out of her way. She looked like a woman on a mission. A mission so important that if you hindered it she would fuck you up permanently and take pleasure in doing it. When they had talked about it Sandy had told him this had been Quinn's default mode last year. It sure explained why nobody wanted to cross the head cheerleader in this school. "What do you need?"_

"_I need you to keep an eye on Rachel today at glee and then give her a lift home, her car is at the shop."_

"_Ah, sure." Sam replied relieved he hadn't to kill anyone. "It'll be my pleasure."_

_Sam didn't miss Quinn's narrowing eyes at his last words. He suddenly felt the need to make a reference on how taken with Sandy he was and how he would never even think to cheat on her. He didn't get the chance as the Cheerio started talking again her tone more crisp, almost clipped, than before._

"_If Finn tries something with her at any time you do whatever it takes to stop it." Quinn instructed further fixing him with an hard glare. "Clear?"_

"_Clear." Sam nodded like a good little soldier, trying to not fidget too much. Quinn sure as hell had the presence of a commanding officer._

"_And go get your lunch before you starve." She called from over her shoulders already halfway down the hallway._

_Sam blushed. Apparently Quinn had heard his growling stomach._

Unconsciously Rachel smiled at the mention of the blonde's name. "I would appreciate it very much, Sam. Are you sure it's not a problem?"

"It's nothing Rachel. I like having someone to talk to when I'm driving and you don't want me bored do you?" He cajoled, sporting his trademark boyish smile. "and Sandy is stuck at Cheerios', so…."

"Yeah, I know, they are doing a post sectional performance review." Sam wasn't surprised Rachel knew even when he had found out just before glee started. Sandy had stopped him in he hallway and had apologetically explained why their afternoon plans had to be scrapped. When his girlfriend had told him the Coach had called a last minute, three hour long, meeting all the pieces had fallen in place for him. He had been wondering the reason behind Quinn's request since the blonde had her own car and in the last weeks Rachel and she had come together often. "so I'm officially free to be your chauffeur."

"Then I'm more than happy to accept your kind offer." Rachel picked up her back pack and started for the door.

"Wait," Finn called out, trying to capitalize on the chance to be alone some more with his ex. "I can give you the lift, Rachel."

"Don't worry about it." She just turned her head to talk to him without really stopping, more than ready to get out of the choir room. "As you pointed out more than once, I live in the other direction than your house." She added like an afterthought. "Bye Finn."

Sam just nodded his hello to the other boy, falling in step with Rachel. She was so short one had to pay attention to the length of his own steps if you didn't want to lose her.

"Bye Rachel." Finn replied frowning, knowing he had lost his chance to win her over.

For now at least.

xxx

"Great job Dave." The guy said slapping him on the back and grinning like a mad man.

Karofsky answer was a smug smirk. "We got them, and we got them big." Exaggeration was always the way to go. After having spent all the week having a variant of this same exact conversation with more people he could count, Dave was pretty good at it. The script was always the same. Someone you barely knew walked up to you like you were their best friend, made same inane comment on your performance in the match, you said something along the lines "we trashed them". Then, after the first two or three standard sentences the girls flirted with him and the boys felt the need to show their camaraderie with another slap on the back or a high five or bumping fists before just leaving after ordering him to win again.

"That you did man." The blond guy, that Dave could swear he hadn't even ever met, and considering they lived in Lima it was saying something, shot back, following the script. Really the only thing that changed was the actor delivering the lines opposite to his own. This time it was a boy a couple of inches smaller than him, but most people were, and even if he wasn't exactly athletic he had a nice figure. Pretty, Dave thought. "Next time you'll crush them!"

"Yeah!" Karofsky shouted back bumping his fist against the offered one, just helping himself from rolling his eyes at the predictability.

Dave watched the guy walk away with a stupid smirk on his face wondering just when his life had turned in such a circus. He couldn't make his way from a class to another without someone stopping him to talk about the match or congratulate him. He was just grateful he was officially with Jessica, otherwise turning down that many girls would have surely raised questions he didn't want to answer.

A flash of Cheerios red caught Dave's eye and he turned to check who it was, since he was looking for Quinn. He wanted to speak to her privately and their shared free period was practically his only chance given the sheer number of fans both of them had gathered since the competition. Because if five people stopped him from a class to another, Quinn was congratulated by ten.

He sighed when he realized the flash of red was from the recording of Cheerio's sectionals routine playing in loop on the mega screen Coach Sylvester had had placed in the main hallway.

Dave had to give it to Sue, the woman sure knew how to make her victories known. And he had to admit that even after having seen the video more times he could count, the performance was still impressive.

As was their opponents reaction to it.

Watching the Cheerios perform drove the other schools' cheerleaders to tears. Literally.

As soon as Cheerios' routine ended the camera panned out to the public and one could see the other teams' cheerleaders openly crying, humbled by the display. Dave couldn't even blame them. It wasn't even his sport and watching the Cheerios routine made feel _him_ like he was an amateur watching a pro.

As he walked away from the huge screen Dave suddenly remembered Quinn and he had pretty big English test tomorrow in the only AP class they shared. On an hunch he went to the classroom reserved for cheerios' study hall.

He found her there, studying. Dave stopped on the door just looking at Quinn, pondering how a couple of weeks could change your idea of someone.

Less than a month ago Dave knew, just as he knew now, that Quinn was an honor roll student but he hadn't ever quite pictured Quinn as someone who needed studying to be it. He had always half suspected teachers were so intimidated by Sue Sylvester, and by Quinn herself, they just gave her higher marks than she deserved. They did it for Finn and several other in the football team, after all. Quinn had even encouraged this idea, he remembered her dismissive comments and her allusions at lunch's table in sophomore year when asked how she had scored such high marks on a test or another.

Now Dave had came to know Quinn enough to know she was scarily intense and very, very much determined. And so finding out that hours of studying were the reason behind her high marks, hadn't surprised him. Jessica had confirmed as much one day when they were studying at his house.

"Do you plan on just standing there all day?"

Her voice startled him from his thoughts. Apparently she wasn't as taken with her studies as he thought. "I was looking for you." He needlessly informed her with a shrug of his shoulders.

"And you found me."

Her words were biting but her tone wasn't, and it made all the difference from her being caustic to just being sarcastic. It was another thing he had found out hanging with her. "I bring news."

"Such as?" Quinn was moderately curious as her ever so slightly quirked eyebrow let him know.

"Puck's party is confirmed for this Friday's night." Dave said walking in the room and going to sit in one of the chairs. "It's the we won the championship-the Cheerios made the other chicks cry celebration." He didn't even try to refrain from rolling his eyes. It sounded more ridiculous every time he repeated it.

"Puck should stop giving names to his parties." was her only comment as she played with a pencil.

"That he should." Dave agreed with a nod. "But it's not the only news I bring."

"Go on then." Quinn said with a wave of her hand.

"As you already know I told Shue no thanks when he asked me to join Glee."

"You told me." Dave knew she hadn't liked to find out Shue had tried to recruit him at the championship game's half time. At the time the man wasn't even sure the three Cheerios were really out of the squad but he was already trying to replace them. It had let Quinn know that the director had given up on them without even trying to fight to make them stay or find another solution. Dave hadn't liked it neither, and he had told the teacher exactly that.

_"Dave!" Hearing his name called out Dave cursed his bad luck. He was on his way to meet with Rachel to go over the last minute details and hadn't any time to spare. "Wait a moment!"_

_"Mr Shue." He greeted trying to be polite. He was tired and sweaty and he had to still speak to Rachel before going to get a quick shower and change in his costume. He didn't even want to think about the time the zombie make up would take. He really hadn't the time nor the desire to listen to the Glee club director._

_"I wanted to ask you something." Shue said once he was closer._

_"About what?"_

_"You sing very well. And dance too..." The man said instead of answering. Dave narrowed his eyes already knowing where he wanted to get. "Ever thought about join Glee club?"_

_"No."_

_"Well you should..." Shue said with a growing smile trying to persuade the football player. "You have the talent for it."_

_"You misunderstood me." Dave cut him off. "No, as in I don't want to join."_

_"Why?" The man asked, looking confused._

_For a moment Dave thought that maybe Finn's idiocy wasn't all his fault if this was his mentor. "Because I won't join any team where the coach hasn't the guts to make his own decision about who stays on his squad or who leaves. Nor I want to join a club whose director turns his backs on his players even before he is sure they really left the team."_

_"This isn't about Quinn, Santana or Brittany." Shue said frowning._

_"Like you would still asking me to join if they still were in Glee. But fourteen members were more than enough, weren't they?" Dave was on a roll. "And you wanna know the funny thing? I would have said yes then. So you didn't lose three members, you lost four." The football player informed him taking pleasure at seeing Will's shock at the news. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to change for my first and last number as a glee club member, and before that I have to go to speak to your captain about how our squads will have to adjust since we lost three of the principal members of our choreography and we are still scrambling to fill those gaps."_

_Without waiting for an answer Dave turned and left a speechless Shue behind._

"Like I promised you I spoke to the other guys in the team and then we cleared things with Finn and the others." Dave explained. "We leave them alone, they don't try to recruit us. They agreed to the terms. So that means you don't have to worry about the football team anymore."

"Good." Quinn said, nodding slowly. Her plan was slowly coming together, the football team was the last tile. She had known Shue only chance to compete to Regionals was to try and recruit new members so she had done made sure everyone in the school knew joining Glee club would severely displease her. Displease her in a "I'll make you life a living hell" way.

What Quinn had figured out would be the hardest part had ended up being the more easy. Before making her wish known in the whole school she had gone to speak to Rachel about the plan.

_This time she had asked Rachel if they could see each other at her house. Quinn wanted to have this talk in a place where the brunette felt safe and where nobody would overhear them, even by chance. So that essentially no McKinley's. Sometimes Quinn wondered if even the walls in that school had hears._

_Leroy had let her go upstairs with a soft "she looks lost" to which she had nodded in agreement._

_She walked up the stairs with her usual determination but stopped just outside Rachel's room, hesitating. For the first time in their friendship Quinn felt uncertain about how to act. So she erred on the side of caution and knocked on the already open door not wanting to invade Rachel's space uninvited. "Hi." She greeted softly when the brunette raised her head from the book she was reading._

_"Hi." Rachel greeted back. It was the first time they saw each other since the brunette had come to say goodbye to her in the parking lot. It wasn't even a full day but it felt like it had been an eternity._

"_You won." Rachel added, studying Quinn for a long moment. The blonde looked tired. It didn't surprise her since the Cheerios competed away from home and couldn't have made it back in Lima before late night or even early in the morning. What she didn't quite understand why Quinn didn't just walk in and sit on the bed as always, choosing instead to stay in the doorway._

_"We won." Quinn confirmed with a nod, not sounding particularly excited about it. After winning two championship titles, winning the sectionals wasn't a big matter anymore. All the blonde remembered of the competition was the cold rage that had driven her through it. _

_"I had no doubts." Rachel said with a smile cocking her head to the side just a little, as if a new perspective would help her understand Quinn's mood. Then, finally figuring out the blonde had to feel uncertain she scooted a little to the side and gently patted the bed next to her in a silent invitation. Now that she was looking for it Rachel saw the relieved smile that made its way on Quinn's face and the relaxing of the cheerleader's shoulders as she finally walked in the room. It was all the confirmation the brunette needed._

_With negligent ease born out of habit, she had spent considerable time at Rachel's this last month, Quinn got rid of her shoes before sitting on the bed and turning her body to the side to face Rachel. "You performance was fantastic."_

_"You saw it?" Rachel asked curiously._

"_This morning." Quinn revealed. "I told the AV club to record it for me. You did great."_

"_Thanks."_

_They lapsed in a companionable silence, both lost in their own thoughts before Quinn spoke again. "I'll get back on Glee." The blonde was happy to see relief cross Rachel's face at her words. _

_"How?" _

_"I have a plan." Quinn said with a smile and a wink. Rachel couldn't help but smile back, by now accustomed to the blonde's plans. If there was a problem you could be sure Quinn had a plan to solve it. It was a strange role reversal after having spent so much time with Finn, where she was essentially the one who came up with plans. Well, workable ones at least. She had to give it to the boy, he tried to solve problems. Well, some of them at least. "but I need you to trust me."_

"_Ok." Rachel said simply, scooting a bit closer to the cheerleader. She chalked this sudden urge to be near Quinn to having missed her even if the had seen each other less than twenty four hours ago._

"_Rachel, you don't know anything about my plan…" The blonde wasn't sure Rachel would be as agreeable with it as she was now after she had heard it._

"_Quinn, I said okay." Rachel cut her off, gently placing a finger on the blonde's lips to quiet her. She felt a tingling sensation run through her when her index made contact with the soft mouth. "As in I don't need to know your plan. I trust you."_

"_Just like that?" Quinn took Rachel's hand away and laced their fingers together._

"_Just like that." And the pleased, almost shy, look on Quinn's face let Rachel know she had said the right thing._

"_I'll do things that will make you doubt me." Quinn warned softly after a moment, not wanting any misunderstanding between them. Rachel's trust was too important to her to gamble with it._

_Rachel nodded as considered Quinn's words seriously since it was the first time a plan came with such a warning. "If I ever have questions will you answer them?"_

"_Of course." _

_The immediate, almost automatic answer made Rachel smile even wider. "That's all I need."_

After that it hadn't took much at all to put the plan into motion. Quinn had simply turned her HBIC side on and let the school know of her wishes. It had felt good to finally doing something.

Santana and she both had ended up taking out much of their frustration at the situation on the school body. After three days of the new regime the Cheerios were as scared of displeasing her as they were of doing the same to Sue. The coach had figured out her game pretty soon and had called her in the office to talk.

"_Are you trying to cross me again Q?" She had asked with studied nonchalance._

"_No." Quinn replied sitting in the chair without being asked to._ _She had known the Coach would call her sooner or later, her plan was anything but subtle, so she was ready for it._

"_You're scheming to go back on Glee." Sue growled glaring at her._

"_Yes." Quinn replied unaffected by the posturing. The lack of narrowed eyes and clenched hands told her Sue wasn't that angry. She was probably more curious than anything. _

"_Why should I allow you to?"_

"_Because there was never any need to use any stunt in our routine. B, S and I led the Cheerios to a victory so clear we made our rivals cry without the need of any damned cannon. We were all you needed all along and we proved it to you."_

_They stared at each other for a long minute, neither backing down._

"_And you like to see Shue squirming." Quinn added with a smirk._

"_That I do." Sue admitted with an evil smirk. Watching the man fail to recruit someone, anyone at all, was funny. "Ok, you can go back to sing kumbaya with the losers."_

_Quinn nodded and raised from the chair._

"_Q?" Sue called her when she was already on the doorway. "I like your plan. I like it exactly as it is. Clear?"_

"_Crystal."_

Sue's blessing, and threat, made Quinn play little rougher then she had planned at first. If the coach wanted to see the school quake in fear as compensation to leave them alone she would oblige, happily.

It was the reason Quinn had then ordered the Cheerios to slushie anyone who got less than three feet from the paper Shue had put in bulletin board where one could sign to try out for Glee.

Five people had been slushied by the baby Cheerios charged with the surveillance before the school body figured out the rule and steered clear of the paper.

The tricky part had been making the school understand that the new rule didn't mean it was open season on the Glee kids.

Quinn had quietly shadowed Rachel waiting for the right moment to make her point.

The occasion presented itself when an overzealous nobody, not quite in the popular crowd but not a loser by any means, had walked up to the small brunette with a sneer on her face.

"_Hey you!" The brown haired girl called out roughly to Rachel, whom politely stopped to wait._

_Quinn grinned, knowing she had finally found her example._

_She simply walked up to them, strolling as if she didn't have a care in the world until she came even with the tallish girl who was poorly stalking towards Rachel. For her part the brunette didn't look impressed at all._

_Without any warning Quinn shoulder checked the girl, hard, slamming her against the lockers._

"_Back off from what's mine." Quinn hissed in her hear, before resuming her walk, winking at Rachel as she went._

After those little demonstrations the losers were too scared of her to even think about breathing the wrong way after she had let known the new rule. The jocks had fell in line, understanding that glee was hers, used to follow her whims and all the others had just fell into line without problems.

Now Shue wouldn't find anyone willing to join Glee Club in the whole school no matter what he offered.

It was a waiting game now.

"And finally," Karofsky announced with a smile distracting Quinn from her thoughts. "you have the next football's team captain in front of you."

That got a real smile out of Quinn and Dave couldn't help but grinning back. "Congratulation." She said getting up and giving him a quick hug before going back to her chair. "Bestie would have been crazy to not give it to you after you were declared man on the match."

"Thanks." He said still blushing, he hadn't expected her to hug him and even if he was gay he wasn't dead.

"The others already know?" Quinn asked, even if she suspected the answer. Finn was way too chipper today to have known he wasn't football team's captain anymore. Earlier in the morning she had caught him looking longingly at Rachel's from the other side of the hallway. It hadn't made her happy at all.

"No," Dave confirmed. "Bestie will make me captain next season. She didn't see any reason to take away captaincy from Finn now."

"You ok with that?" Quinn checked, cocking her head to the side, studying him.

Dave nodded once, sure of himself. "The season is over anyway. And I'm listed as vice captain for this season, it's enough, I can wait next year to be captain. She even said she'll write me a presentation letter for college." He added with a boyish grin, excited at the idea of leaving Lima.

"Good." She said simply sitting down, adjusting her book a bit.

Getting that she wanted to be left alone to study, Dave got up from his chair and made to leave, having told her what he needed. "You know what? I never thanked you for hooking me up with Jessica." He said jokingly once he reached the doorway but meaning it. They weren't together, but he wasn't alone anymore and that was enough, it was really nice to have a friend in his same position.

"I blackmailed you Dave." Quinn reminded him with her signature eyebrow raised, a pencil already in her hand to start again taking notes.

"Best blackmail of my life." He called out over his shoulder as he left.

Her laughter followed him as he walked away.


End file.
